CoC : Coffin Texts - Gods of Creation, Death & Afterlife : Review

Coffin Texts - _Gods of Creation, Death & Afterlife_
(Dwell Records, 2000)
by: Aaron McKay (7 out of 10)

Against my original impression, I am inclined to give these guys some manoeuvring room with the vortex of pulverizing conflagration this band has manipulated here. The condensed version is: I like Coffin Texts. Expanding on that a bit more, I'd like to have seen some more intrepid, pioneering steps taken on this release. Coffin Texts certainly has the power and ability to pull off an innovation here and there, but instead chose to play things close to the vest. Desert dry, guttural rasp/growls scour across the tumultuous sand dunes of brutality CT lays waste to on _GoCD&A_. At times, I am reminded of Nile, but as you might imagine, this can be a good thing especially when a band colors the golden tan soundscape generously with their own style. Two favorites to be on the lookout for: Coffin Texts's self-titled track and "Disturbing the Priest". Both are extremely alluring, but the savior of this effort is CT's very Massacre-sounding cover of "Crypts of Eternity", which is of course a remake done initially by Slayer on _Hell Awaits_. This track can also be found on Dwell Records' 1999 various artists release, _Gateway to Hell -- Tribute to Slayer_. At just over thirty-eight minutes in length, you can seen Coffin Texts's potential spelled out in enigmatic writing all over the wall -- or crypt, I guess, in this case.

(article published 12/8/2000)