Review: “The Tenebrous Mist” by Coffin Breath

Shrouded in a p*** soaked cloak of mystery, Doom infused Blackened Death Metal act Coffin Breath have arisen from tombs hitherto unexplored with a debut EP recorded in April 2021. The zombified reanimated corpses  digitally self released a month later and it has now been picked up by cult Dutch label Seed Of Doom, known for releases by Apparatus, Fervent and Into Coffin to name but a few, for a black shell cassette release with the “Life is a sickness… but the dead are free“.

Their maybe only two tracks on offer here but together they create the better part of 21 minutes of music and while the cover art depicts a trio, there is artwork elsewhere that has two shadowy figures upon it meaning we are no closer to discovering the identity of the corpses without looking at dental records. What we can tell you is that Coffin Breath specialise in creating the kind of oppressively suffocating dark sounds that you might expect to hear in a serial killers basement as they clean and sharpen their knives. The spitting, snarling and shrieking throat shredding vocals are in a similar vein to those of Brendan Auld’s Snorlax project, undistinguishable and yet nail bitingly addictive as the gutteral low roars become an instrument or implement of destruction in their own right. Sonically however, the band take a far more controlled approach with slow building funeral pyres of Doom Metal with little nuanced hints at Jazz from the bass lines that focus on creating an abhorrent atmosphere of crushing stench in long and drawn out gut dragging fashion. It’s as if the hanged man is still alive as he is dragged by his hair across the cold medieval prison cobblestones to the guillotine. Subtle tempo shifts keep this alive with swaying movements and Coffin Breath could easily find themselves creating soundscapes for the next Robert Rodriguez horror movie [7/10]

Track listing

1. Marching Into Lethargy
2. The Tenebrous Mist

“The Tenebrous Mist” by Coffin Breath is out 13th August 2021 on black shell cassette via cult label Seed Of Doom here and available over at bandcamp.