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COFFIN FEEDER “Big Trouble”
COFFIN FEEDER “Big Trouble”
by Thor
Look. I know my audience. If I were to write something along the lines of “extreme metal super group releases ‘80s action movie-themed concept album,” and stopped there, you’d all read that as a positive review of COFFIN FEEDER’s debut full-length, “Big Trouble”. But for the sake of filling time and maintaining the illusion that I have opinions worth reading, let me elaborate a bit.
COFFIN FEEDER is a Belgian super group of extreme metal vets including members of ABORTED, LENG T’CHE, WHEN PLAGUES COLLIDE, and FLEDDY MELCULY. Collectively, the group spans the genres of death metal, grindcore, and hardcore. Not to mention waffles.
Produced by Dave Otero (CATTLE DECAPITATION, SHADOW OF INTENT, ARCHSPIRE), “Big Trouble” is sonically massive and as punchy as Rocky Balboa. It features the signature modernity and clarity of other Otero-produced records so if you’re looking for something raw and lo-fi, this ain’t it. One could argue it’s a tad over-produced, but, I mean, welcome to metal in the year 2025.
The band employs a triple vocal attack, but the default approach is mid-tempo heavy hardcore featuring guttural vocals. This is interspersed with passages that are essentially black metal and others that are hardcore, both musically and vocally. There are blast beats o’ plenty, but these fellas lean into the groove more than expected. It all mostly works, especially when the band’s at its most aggressive.
“Big Trouble” loses me a bit when the band injects synths into the mix. I’m not a fan of that aesthetic in extreme metal to begin with, but here it feels a little out of place amidst the aggressive music. More movie samples would have been a better choice, but those aren’t free.
The concept is hilarious, and it’s bolstered by a truly great album cover. That, combined with the song titles, promises a level of fun that I’m not sure the music delivers. The whole endeavor might be better served by sticking to EPs and the occasional single. Even so, the talent of the musicians involved and the superior production results in an LP that’s a net success despite its few shortcomings.
I’ll be curious to hear what COFFIN FEEDER does next, but for now, “Big Trouble” is a good start.
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