Swamp Coffin Flatcap Bastard Features

Rotherham's Swamp Coffin are gathering traction in the northern metal community as a promising new live act. Based on their debut EP, it's not hard to see why. Best described as an aural monolith, stacked from start to finish with hard-hitting riffs, a groove-laden rhythm section and coarse vocals, this trio binds the classic elements of sludge and comes out swinging.

this [EP] leaves a powerful first impression

The aptly-named Flatcap Bastard Features wears the various influences of the trio on its sleeve, bringing a refreshingly tongue-in-cheek attitude to a genre that often takes itself too seriously. There are obvious shades of Iommi, Pike and Windstein throughout, and though the band seldom veer from the sludge blueprint, Flatcap showcases intermittent excursions into more varied territory.

'Annihulus' features dissonant black metal inspired guitars, while 'Black Shirt, Blacker Sabbath' carries the swagger of its namesake with a hardened edge reminiscent of early Hang The Bastard. The strength of this EP lies in a back-to-basics approach which is perhaps better translated into the live arena. Though it's often hard to focus the live energy of a band onto a record, this EP is a strong indicator of their capabilities.

While its relatively non-experimental nature may strike some as one dimensional, there is an inherent satisfaction to this EP. I'd like to see Swamp Coffin experiment further with more savage production and a deeper exploration of their sound on their follow up. But as a riff-heavy, balls-to-the-wall sludge debut, this leaves a powerful first impression.

Nick Gosling