By: Charlie Butler
Album Type: Full
Length
Date Released: 23/03/2018
Label: Hummus
Records
“Millennials” is a whirlwind of chaos interspersed with periods of
hypnotic heaviness. Coilguns have crafted a killer record played with a hunger
and venom that leaves all competitors eating their dust.
“Millennials” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1). Anchorite
2). Deletionism
3). Millennials
4). Spectrogram
5). Music Circus Clown Care
6). Ménière’s
7). Wind Machines For Company
8). Self Employment Scheme
9). Blackboxing
10). The Screening
The Review:
Fans of
the chaotic heaviness of classic Hydra Head bands like Keelhaul and Knut
need Coilguns
new LP “Millennials” in their lives.
The unpredictable Swiss quartet have taken that powerful early 2000s sound,
imbued it with their distinct brand of mayhem and dragged it screaming into the
present.
“Anchorite” opens proceedings with a
slowly unfurling locked groove that sounds like Mastodon’s “Remission” being dragged into a pit of sludge. The uncomfortable,
dark atmosphere cast by this track persists throughout this mesmerising record
that flits between simmering controlled carnage as demonstrated on “Self Employment Scheme” and brief
bursts of head-scratching math-metal like “Music
Circus Clown Care”.
The title
track demonstrates Coilguns ability to temper their complexity
with raw, paint-stripping punk rock intensity. Few bands can deliver this kind
of raging adrenaline rush, hurtling into oblivion like their sadly missed Swiss
comrades Kruger
on a collision course with the sun. A looming doom riff appears to signal a
snail-paced climax before the drums thunder back in at full speed to maintain
the rapid velocity.
This is
just one example that highlights the importance of Luc Hess’ drumming. More
often than not, the drumming on these tracks will pursue an unexpected path for
a band of this style to great effect. “Spectrogram”
is based on an ominous, tom-heavy pattern that has more in common with
post-punk than metal or hardcore. Its ominous repetition provides the perfect
backdrop for the bands lumbering riffs and slowly building wall of sound. The
restrained menace and eerie twinkly keyboard sounds conjure up a claustrophobic
mood that brings to mind the underrated Breach. When the band lock into a punishing, Shellac
style riff on “Deletionism”, the
drums shuffle in and around the riff instead of providing the expected
punishing groove. This makes it all the more powerful when the beat returns to
more traditional heavy territory.
“Millennials” is a whirlwind of chaos
interspersed with periods of hypnotic heaviness. Coilguns have crafted a killer
record played with a hunger and venom that leaves all competitors eating their
dust.
“Millennial” is
available here
