Coffin Storm – Arcana Rising
Reviewed By: Jason Deaville
Review Score: 8
When one thinks of Norway and metal, the first thing that comes to mind is likely black metal and all the associated drama and such that took place in the land of fjords and frost back in the 90s. Now, keeping in mind the theme of Norway, if I were to throw the following descriptors at you, what is the first thing to pop into that headbangin noggin of yours?
…classic heavy metal, slow thrash, and doom
If you immediately thought of Fenriz of the legendary Darkthrone, you’d be correct! If there is one guy in the whole of the Norwegian black metal contingent that espouses the virtues of old-school, classic metal-ness, it’s the hiking metal punk himself. Predictably, the man teamed up with some like-minded metalheads, forming the project titled Coffin Storm. It wasn’t long before they had a slew of vintage-inspired material, which took the shape of their debut album, Arcana Rising.
Overlooking the ancient lands of sensational heavy metal, Coffin Storm features a trio of Kolbotn, Norway metal veterans, which includes Apollyon (Aura Noir/Lamented Souls), Bestial Tormentor (Infernö/Lamented Souls), and is completed by the aforementioned Fenriz on vocal duties. The result is a torrent of rousing, accomplished titanic riffing from both Apollyon and Bestial Tormentor, commandeered by Fenriz’s unmistakable vocal prowess (as witnessed with his own Isengard project as well as multiple Darkthrone releases).
Now, let’s break this beast down track by headbanging track…
OVER FROZEN MOORS
The song immediately kicks in with a chugging down-picked riff of epic proportions that summons an early Celtic Frost vibe. Man, this riff is infectious. Seriously one of the catchiest grooves on the album. With the headbanging and fists pounding, Fenriz rips in on the mic with one of his finest performances yet of this old-school vocal approach. It’s clear that he has honed his technique to near-perfection on this track, coming across as a slightly-less falsetto-y John Cyrlis of Agent Steel (circa 85’s Skeptics Apocalypse and 87’s Unstoppable Force). From here, the song takes on an early Exodus-like verse riff that works incredibly well. The song ends as strongly as it started, with an infectious half-time riff that chugs its way out like a sledgehammer to the skull.
ARCANA RISING
Where the first track was a crushing headbanger of a ride, the title track, ‘Arcana Rising’, takes the listener on a morose, melancholic trip à la mid-eighties Candlemass. This is particularly evident in the vocals, where Fenriz summons his best Messiah Marcolin, while the rest of the band conjures the sleek, powerful doom of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.
OPEN THE GALLOWS
The song opens with a riff not far removed from the reverb-soaked riffing found Metallica‘s classic Ride The Lightning album. This is followed by a full minute of back-and-forth licks that remind me of UK NWOBHM band Holocaust and the song ‘Heavy Metal Maniac’ from their cult classic album, The Nightcomers (a more relatable comparison would be Killers-era Iron Maiden). The similarities to Holocaust don’t end here, as the chug found later in the song is eerily reminiscent of the horn-raising main riff found on their song ‘Death Or Glory’. I can’t imagine this was intentional, as the riffs of this time were quite interchangable. Either way, a fantastic song that transports the listener to the mid-80s without even trying.
EIGHTY-FIVE AND SEVEN MILES
Would love to know the significance of this title. I can only imagine ‘eighty-five’ relates to the year, and perhaps ‘seven miles’ is how far Fenriz and his Kolbotn crew drove to see Pentagram at the local rec center. Whatever its meaning, the song starts with what can be best described as a heavier version of the intro riff found on the Pentagram song ’20 Buck Spin’ (from their self-titled debut released in ’85). At just over seven minutes, the song is a bit long for its sparse choice of riffing, with things becoming a bit same-y by the halfway point. On a positive note, there is some stellar lead work peppered throughout that showcases the antiquated talents of Bestial Tormentor.
CEASELESS ABANDON
Now, I know the band didn’t drop Celtic Frost as a specific influence for this album, but, man, I am getting some real Cold Lake and Vanity/Nemesis-like vibes from the opening riff of ‘Ceaseless Abandon’. As a BIG fan of both these albums, this is certainly a good thing. It has that infectious shuffling rhythm with both the guitars and drums that borders on the darker side of glam. Enter Fenriz, who puts a stop to such nonsense with his epic wailing that is the furthest thing from Tom G. Warrior’s goofy snarl on Cold Lake. The chorus leaves something to be desired, belted out a bit sloppily, yet still somehow effective in the context of this song, which, I might add, feels a bit looser than the rest of the album. In fact, the entire thing has an almost improvised feel to it.
CLOCKWORK CULT
Probably the most second-wave black metal-like song of the bunch. Even the production is a bit more vicious on this track. I mean, not to confuse anyone into thinking this is a proper black metal song, as it definitely is not that, but it does have some chord progressions that can be found on very early Mayhem and Darkthrone releases. I’m even hearing some very early Satyricon-like chord progressions in the last third of the song. For the most part, though, this track rides a mid-paced groove reminiscent of early Celtic Frost.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Sure, one could accuse Fenriz of perhaps being a little whimsical and technically erractic as it relates to the vocals, but when one looks back at the vocalists of the era he is paying homage, they had yet to master their falsettos. Fenriz’s strength lies in his passion and dedication to the music of that time, and channels it with a convicition that is immediately relatable and enjoyable. The same could be said for the rest of the band, where things feel a bit loose and improvised, but not to the detriment of the whole.
Arcana Rising doesn’t do much to stand out from other bands doing the same, but maybe that is the point. It feels like a full-on love affair with the music they consume day and night, plain and simple. Does it need to be more than that? Where it differs from the last few Darkthrone albums that have traveled a similar route, is that albums like The Underground Resistance, Arctic Thunder, Old Star, Eternal Hails, and Astral Fortress are far more refined and thought out.
In the end, Arcana Rising is an album that one should go into without expectations. Just throw it on and let it consume you for what it is. If anything, it may spark a renewed love for those classic vinyls from the 80s that may be collecting dust. If you are a fan of Darkthrone, Aura Noir, Inferno, Isengard, Agent Steel, Candlemass, Pentagram, Kreator, Paradise Lost, Cathedral, and early Metallica, Exodus, Celtic Frost, then this is an album for you.
Arcana Rising drops on March 29th via Peaceville Records.