Visual Darkness' CGI art used for the CD version.
Lou Rusconi's original art used for the LP version.
I love it when weird, totally out of the blue splits happen
with two bands that are in absolutely no way related musically. This phenomenally
weird split 12” between American sicko porno grinder XXX Maniak and Japanese
death-doom titans Coffins is no exception to that rule. I guess the only link between these two bands that I can
decipher is that XXX Maniak love their slow, death doom shit; their label
released a fancy box set version of diSEMBOWELMENT’s “Transcendence…” and
related demos a few years ago. This split though - nowhere else can I hear 20
blasts of insane grind followed by a fucking Cathedral cover.
3XM’s nauseating debut will always have a place in my heart
(lol) but I think I prefer the super-refined sound here. Gone are most death
metal or goregrind vocal influences (as is the old vocalist, who apparently stole
a bunch of money) which are replaced with a more straight-forward shouty,
screamy approach, which is just lovely. Don’t think 3XM have changed up though;
this is still hyperblasting drum machine grindcore littered with their
trademark hilarious sampling. Despite the abundance of grinding hilarity on
show here, my favourite track simply has to be “Smoking Sumerian Debris”, with
its menacing riff and evil pitchshifted vocal.
Coffins are not a hyperblasting drum machine goregrind band.
Coffins are a death metal influenced doom band from Japan. Coffins are slow;
slower than the agonising death of a seagull smothered in spilt crude oil. Alongside
their frankly excellent cover of Cathedral’s “Ebony Tears” is the single track,
“The Cracks Of Doom”; a meandering, bludgeoning affair of sludgy, growly
goodness.
To top off all this awesomeness, the LP release of this
split uses the original Lou Rusconi artwork. Whilst it’s not quite as flashy as
Visual Darkness’ CGI skeletal affair (VD did the artwork for the 3XM full
length and for their split with Lymphatic Phlegm. The cover for this split is
actually rather tame compared to these other disturbing creations) it’s still
really, really twisted. I love Lou Rusconi’s stuff and I implore you to check it
out! Eagle-eyed grinders will noticed that the second 3XM member has had his
face erased from the cover art.
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