It’s the end for Endseeker.
After just twelve years together and four albums, Lenny (vocals, Devastator), Ben (guitar), Jury (guitar), Kummer (drums), and Torsten (bass) have decided to call it quits. But they still have one last EP to share with us, Coffin Born, released on their longtime label, Metal Blade Records.
We kick things off with the catchy Enemies of Peace, an effective opening track that starts off fairly slowly before picking up speed to welcome the vocals, letting the chainsaw-like sound rage at a good pace and making us want to bang our heads. We also note a few shrill harmonics that add to the overall aggression, as well as a slower but heavier mosh part before the finale, which leads us into No After. No Before. This track, in turn, picks up speed and features furious riffs, but also intense and more melodic choruses, creating an interesting contrast between the two phases of the song. We continue with Coffin Born, the energetic title track that strictly adheres to the conventions of Old School Death Metal, and is at times a bit morbid, whether in the leads or Lenny’s roars, and the song hits us hard before moving on to Life Breeds Death, a slightly calmer track that nonetheless features jagged riffs and driving patterns while playing on a sense of dread with its harmonics. The long instrumental passage carries us toward the finale, then into True Survivor, a cover of David Hasselhoff’s song where clean vocals surprisingly dominate, yet it brings the EP to a close with an unexpected twist while keeping the rage intact right up to the very end, notably featuring an epic solo.
With Coffin Born, Endseeker delivers a stunning final, an aggressive swan song, just as their entire career has been. I personally regret never having been able to see them live, but these new tracks are immediately joining my all-time favorites!
95/100