Coffin Feeder is very productive.
Created in 2021 in Belgium around Sven de Caluwé (vocals, Aborted, Fetal Blood Eagle… ), Bart Govers (guitar, Fleddy Melculy), Jeroen Camerlynck (guitar, Fleddy Melculy), Jan Hallaert (bass, Leng Tch’e, Motormouth) and Olivier Coppens (drums, Leng Tch’e, Motormouth), recently replaced by Siebe Hermans (drums, When Plagues Collide, ex-Verwilderd), the band released its first EP, Stereo Homicide, at the beginning of 2022, followed by Over the Top at the end of the year.
Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy) handles mixing and mastering for both EPs.
After Volumes, a disturbing sample which immediately makes us sink into a heavy horrific atmosphere, Plug It Up reveals aggressive and very straightforward riffs under massive screams and dark sounds. With this mix of modern Deathcore, the band multiplies catchy moshparts, also letting the guitarists offer energetic choruses before David Simonich (Signs of the Swarm, ex-Improvidence) joins the musicians to add his possessed vocals to the vocalists’ ones. Groovy and heavy riffs regularly crush us but the track is short, and it will give way to Toolbox and its unhealthy jerky leads which perfectly fit the dark atmosphere the band recreates in every track. Doomsday Device follows with a new fix of oppression the band skillfully couples with a massive rhythmic and a majestic but heavy atmosphere, creating a contrast with screams and the break, then Severed Survival will close the EP with Grindcore influences, whether it is in vocal parts or in sharp riffs, but also Post-Hardcore roots at the middle of the track.
The year goes by, and Coffin Feeder multiplies the live appearances before announcing Stereo Homicide and its cover with many references. We find some of them on Dead or Alive, the first track, immediately crushes us after the end of the introductive sample with massive and jerky riffs. The choruses are also more present on this groovy and catchy track which will eventually give way to DFENS, a track which plays on the contrast between modernity and Old School tones, with some dissonance touches. The aggressive and heavy basis is still the main element, just like on A Good Supply of Bodybags which places blood-curdling samples in a heady rhythmic, letting blast hit us. The track sometimes slows down to strengthen pure oppression, and then the short Capture for Consumption brings the EP to an end with extremely effective Old School roots which don’t hesitate to spread an impressive arsenal of violence to make sure its message is heard.
It’s pretty easy to see the progression of Coffin Feeder. If Stereo Homicide is a solid first release, laying the foundations of aggressive Deathcore, Over the Top nails us to the ground to beat us to death. I can’t wait to hear what will come next.
90/100