ALBUM REVIEW: Drowning Glory – Swamp Coffin
2021 saw the release of one of the most emotionally heavy and sludge-driven debuts of recent times. SWAMP COFFIN’s Noose Almighty was spewed forth on a torrent of anger, sorrow and unstoppable riffs. The crushing weight of the lyrical content was matched pound for pound by the intensity of the music generated by the three-piece. While praise for the record was delivered in heaps from many quarters, there was a backdrop of personal tragedies and events that the band were coping with. Now, drawing more inspiration from the topics of the previous album and EP release, the architects of the slowest wall of death have returned with their sophomore album Drowning Glory.
Dripping in uncompromising honesty and devastating intensity, Drowning Glory opens with Know You’re Worthless. The DNA of SWAMP COFFIN is laid bare as they launch into a track that seamlessly picks up on their debut style from nearly three years ago. While the down-tuned sludge sentiment is retained, there is a noticeable refinement apparent even on the opening track. There is more groove laced throughout the punishing riffs and rhythms, lending another dynamic to the determined brutality that the trio conjure up.
It might be bleak, but the rallying cry of “No one’s gonna fucking save you” from As Cold As Blood carries such weight and majesty that it will bring venue walls crashing down when it’s belted out by the fans. This emotive power and connectivity is something that SWAMP COFFIN excel at. Their lyricism is raw and honest and one gets the sense that they are not pulling punches, but rather swinging a sledgehammer in such a way that even if the audience doesn’t relate to the concepts directly, they will still connect on a visceral level.
The phrase ‘wall of sound’ is often and accurately ascribed to many tracks and albums that deliver a full weight colossal style. With Terminally Cursed, it seems SWAMP COFFIN have taken the memo of a wall of sound and produced a track akin to four walls of sound that are slowly closing in. The crushing oppression is both domineering yet still accessible. The sonic sensation matches the lyrical content and it is this prevalent connection permeating the album that marks Drowning Glory out as something special.
In an album jammed full of memorable riffs, rhythms and deeply emotive power, there is still room for the lyrics to stand out on their own as an equally formidable aspect of the record. “Only the hearses win” from Chapter And Hearse carries both a melancholic and oddly uplifting edge. One cannot deny the mournful and sombre undercurrents, the delivery is one of defiance. The title of the track itself also maintains the air of black humour that SWAMP COFFIN have cultivated from previous releases such as Last Of The Summer Slime and Barbarian Windsor. They will produce some of the most crushing emotional pressure wrapped in the aural equivalent of a wrecking ball and they’ll do it with a grin. Once again it ties in with the heart-on-the-sleeve, brutal honesty that SWAMP COFFIN have demonstrated.
Part of the charm of the debut was the honesty behind the lyrics and the delivery of the emotion. This was coupled with the absolutely crushing wall of noise that the three musicians were able to generate. It’s excellent, therefore, that SWAMP COFFIN have retained this on Drowning Glory. Everything that made them stand out on their initial release is retained and enhanced ten-fold on the seven tracks presented here. With a lean towards including other styles and elements and (whisper it) melody, the music is heightened in its intensity. Holding true to themselves, their sound and embracing elements that serve their purpose, SWAMP COFFIN have utterly excelled with Drowning Glory.
Rating: 10/10
Drowning Glory is set for release on September 27th via APF Records.
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