Alright fuckers, I will keep this one rather short, concise, and to the point. GraveCoven are an American outfit specializing in conjuring up sinister and murky death metal with a few black metal undertones to it and this four-track EP of theirs entitled Coughing Blood is a morbidly enjoyable listen. The compositions are all utterly dark and possess some truly foul and wicked riffs that sound as if they were spawned in the deepest pit of hell.

 

On top of that, they are memorable and easy to digest yet the vicious hymns that constitute the EP are not one-dimensional as such; there are some interesting layers and nuances to them, most notably in "Furious Fires" and "The Ecstasy of Hatred". The deep and unpleasant vocals are convincing and the musicianship is solid, so no complaints there whatsoever. The compositions are also sufficiently varied and the warm and organic production suit them perfectly.

There is nothing new, original, or innovative to what these guys do, but "Coughing Blood" is a really well-crafted piece of work with a nasty atmosphere to it that ought to please all lovers of blackened death metal out there. It brings to mind such acts as Bathory, Hellhammer, Christ Inversion, Bestial Mockery, and Blasphemy without sounding like a copy of any of those bands. A most worthwhile release and the digipak looks pretty neat, so check it out.

 

https://gravecoven.bandcamp.com/