Review: “March To The Grave/ Apocryphal Obstruction” by Penny Coffin
2023 was the year of change in the Penny Coffin camp as original drummer Panagiotis Rodopoulos exited stage left. His boots have since been filled by Luke Lockley, a man of vast experience having graced the drum stool for such household names as Desecrated Extinction, Lashing Out and Unhallowed Void to name but a few. After no less than three well received EPs together, how will the Scottish Death Metal band sound with their Greek influences no longer present? Guitarists Daniel Paton and Joseph Edward Kelly remain steadfast alongside bassist Garry Ross as they once again went DIY or DIE for their fourth reign of terror. That comes in the form of EP “March To The Grave/ Apocryphal Obstruction” which makes it four in four years, each painstakingly recorded, mixed and mastered in Tormented Confinement: The 37th chamber of death…
After the success of “Conscripted Morality” which was mastered by James Plotkin (Dead Skeletons, Necro Deathmort, Conan), this time around the four piece return to their roots, doing everything themselves. That’s by no means a bad thing, they have accumulated a wealth of experience since their humble beginnings and here put it to good use, so if you’re expecting a demo this is anything but. Instead “March To The Grave” drags us kicking and screaming into the bands dark vision of a Groove Death soaked future with obvious influences from the 90’s so called Golden Era of the genre. Bands like Deicide and Suffocation immediately spring to mind as as the quartet pulverise with Lockley putting in a powerhouse display to make his presence felt. The darkly melancholic leads that the band introduced with their last record are turned into an almost Melodic Death Metal inspired solo that while short is sickly sweet. Add to that the bowel clenching death growled lows of the vocals and you have a combination that should see the bands way to Obscene Extreme Festival in the Czech Republic. Its like the senses have been heightened with a greater killer instinct as there a line has been drawn in the sand. It’s undoubted that there is more energy, more power and more purpose to these fresh cryptic writings. Hitting harder as it reaches neck snapping speed “Apocryphal Obstruction” has the early whammy bar orientated solo as Lockley blasts his way out of the bands basement dwelling hell, providing the kind of covering artillery shelling that most bands kill for. Barbed riffs flow like blood from the veins, the non stop dark energy a magnificent, malevolent undertaking. The question is no longer can they survive but what will it take to elevate the four piece to the next level because they clearly have what it takes [9/10]
Track Listing
- March To The Grave
- Apocryphal Obstruction
“March To The Grave/ Apocryphal Obstruction” by Penny Coffin is out 19th October 2024 and available over at bandcamp.