Album Review: Swamp Coffin - Noose Almighty
Reviewed by Neil Bolton
Yorkshire three piece Swamp Coffin have experienced a fair amount of trauma and grief; well certainly vocalist/guitarist Jon Rhodes has. These experiences have all bled out into the music contained in 'Noose Almighty'.
The band as a whole practiced and honed their song writing so that when they returned to Top Floor Audioworks to work with past collaborator Owen Claxton their time together would be as productive as possible. Having worked with Owen before they say the recording process only took three days with Owen being the “secret sauce” in the sludge doom sandwich.
The first track 'Your Problem' grinds and pummels the listener with a slow massive doom riff to rival the best. This track begins where the earlier self-released 'Flatcap Bastard Features' left off. Jon’s vocals contain anger and horror. The vocals sit on top of the tune but never distract from the heavy theme the instruments are exhibiting. The fatigue with the world is captured well in both voice and music. The second number 'Jägerbombs Away' may have a song title that sounds frivolous but the music is any thing but. The bile is still deep in the music and even an anthemic and cool guitar solo can’t lift this heavy tune away from the rotting depths it intentionally bubbles around in.
Another light hearted song title adorns track three, the songs name may be light hearted but the tune is not. 'Barbarian Windsor's glorious sludge pour out into the world with a cool hooky beat leading into a monstrously large riff around the four and a half minute mark. A riff so comfortable you can sit in it. If this riff does not tickle and rattle your metal bones there’s something deeply wrong. It is massive, immense, and glorious!
The title track 'Noose Almighty' is calm and mellow with somber guitars at its outset. Nasty vocals soon join the party, with another thick weighty riff soon adding texture and depth.
It is obvious why Owen Claxton is considered as a fourth band member (one of the bastards) as this recording is warm, thick and wonderful, helping create a marvellous release worthy of APF Records, and leaving me excited at the prospect of encountering them live at the upcoming APF Showcase.
