COSCRADH – NAHANAGAN STADIAL LP (Invictus Productions)

A cleansing, apocalyptic sonic storm erupts ominously on ‘Nahanagan Stadial’, the debut Coscradh full-length onslaught, and never relents, inexorably obliterating all in its path with a devastating display of hostility, intensity and finality. Amid the unstoppable, irrepressible (anti-)musical maelstrom, the screams of the damned duel for supremacy with the howls of the fucked – like an irresistible force meeting an immovable object, an honourable draw is declared.

Here is the sound of the complete collapse and annihilation of all living things, a pummelling and purifying quintet of offensives levelling all in sight with an uncanny degree of power, panache and prowess reminiscent of the Iberian iconoclasts Teitanblood themselves and proving that Coscradh are worthy of mention in the same breath as their corrupt compatriots, the mighty Malthusian.

With its appealing colour theme and embossed features, the cover of the record itself evokes nostalgia for Entombed’s monumental second album from over three decades ago, ‘Clandestine’, although of course the bestial barrage of war metal presented is substantially more aggressive and harrowing than that of the trailblazing Swedes.

The subtle incorporation of noise and samples here and there serves to keep things somewhat more palatable than might otherwise have been the case, but ‘Nahanagan Stadial’ was never in danger of becoming an unlistenable racket anyhow as the violence delivered so fervently and enthusiastically is a glorious abomination to behold. Taking its title from a catastrophic geological event that occurred some 10,000 year ago, this unprovoked, unharnessed and unapologetic outburst represents a suitably chaotic and delirious soundtrack to extinction.

Evilometer: 666/666