Review: “From The Ashes” by Coiled Around Thy Spine

Having played their parts in Gotland, Eyes of Hydra, Winter Lament, Unforced, Art Of Darkness, Dying Awkward Angel and Six-Point Lead Turin Italy based duo and seasoned musicians Sergio Costa (guitars, bass) and Daniele Rosso (vocals) started a Melodic Death Metal project together in Coiled Around Thy Spine which impressed with debut offering “Shades” in 2018. Their influences are many and varied but they claim “Master Of Puppets” by Metallica and “Symbolic” by Death as their two favorite albums of all time. the share something in common with us and so we consider this something fitting to review…

…after some Industrial synths and programming set an evilly ominous atmosphere, lead riffs burst forth, puncturing the flesh as they mirror the synth pattern before slicing their own way through the Jungle of the Urban undergrowth with a sharpened Manchette. “Paracosm” is a cut at the heavier end of Melodic Death Metal that reaches into the black abyss of the void into Death Metal while also having a plethora of technically complex lead worth that is simply awe inspiring. This duo may hail from Italy but they share the blood of their brothers in the Swedish Death Metal movement and there are certainly moments in various cuts like “Back To The Dark” which could be cut from the same cloth as Children Of Bodom and even Carcass. Rosso’s vocals are furious and ferocious throughout; he makes a great foil for Costa, who must go through guitars like most of us go through water as his lead work is so blistering that the wood of the neck must be smoking hot pretty damn quick. To play these songs live and do them justice you might need a seven piece band; there are points in the layering where you could justify three guitarists to be able to match the work that Costa has put in. There are also mournful and melancholic touches as as well, “Graveyard Of Thoughts” and “Burning Souls” both have lamenting moments, but then the later also has incendiary bursts of blast beats as well as a jaw dropping extended solo…

The frantic and frenetic “Survival Instinct” has something of mid-career Strapping Young Lad about it and while the drummer remains unnamed, it would be no great surprise if it was Gene “The Atomic Clock” Hoglan, such is the nature of it and the skill required to carry it off. There are plenty of double kick footwork moments, tempo shifts and technical fills that would mean some lesser mortals may struggle to keep the pace. What’s great about the record is that while you’re banging your head an admiring one element, one moment, the next one is right there to be heard which gives it longevity; you simply can’t listen to it a few times and hear it all; it’s not something that someone of flesh and blood can actually do without the brain hemorrhaging. Waxing lyrical about the guitar work is one thing but if the vocalist didn’t fit or didn’t bring suitable lyrical darkness to the Kings table then it would all be for nothing; Rosso has something of Jeff Walker about him with a distinctly European Death Metal accenting on his vocals and he’s done everything that is required of him in his role here to perfection. A word on the covers? They are an addition which sees the duo having fun and on paper at least seemed something of a risk. However given the incredible talents of Coiled Around Thy Spine on show with their own material, carrying off covers like these should be effortless and put simply it is. The Death cover in particular benefits from the update in terms modern production and equipment and acts as a very fitting tribute to the legend that was Chuck Schuldiner [9/10]

1. Paracosm
2. Back To The Dark Dimension
3. Breath Of Existence
4. Graveyard Of Thoughts
5. Burning Souls
6. Survival Instinct
7. Red Rising Sun
8. From The Ashes
9. Like Hell (Loudness cover)
10. Bite The Pain (Death cover)

“From The Ashes” by Coiled Around Thy Spine is out 17th May 2021