COMA HOLE – Hand Of Severance
Release Date: 1st November 2024
Label: Self Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Psychedelic, Doom, Stoner, Grunge, Hard Rock.
FFO: Hole, Soundgarden, Slow Goat, Morass of Molasses, Alice in Chains, Valley of the Sluts.
Review By: Mark Waight
Hand Of Severance is the eagerly awaited debut album from Rhode Island psychedelic doom duo, Coma Hole. Following on from their self-titled 2022 EP, which dealt with individual depression and self-loathing, Hand Of Severance delves into the self-destructive behaviours of the general population and the inner human psyche of us all.
Not for the feint hearted, Hand Of Severance is very heavy, tough and thought-provoking stuff but well worthy of checking out if you enjoy the darker things in life.
Coma Hole is Eryka Fir (vocals, bass) and Steven Anderson (drums).
Opening track Alphaholics is a quick paced, hard rocking tune with echoes stretching back across the decades to the very dawn of this genre. The fuzzy sound just resonates sweetly and effortlessly in your mind as you are dragged helplessly down into the Coma Hole.
Nevermind following quickly on is the next superb next track. This slightly blues leaning hard rock song is pure bliss on the ears and an immensely enjoyable listen!
Next up, Rivermouth ebbs, flows and bubbles nicely along to continue our far out and groovy trip down memory lane with Coma Hole. Dark as the subject matter is, there is still something comforting and enlightening about The Hand Of Severance, in the fact that we are not alone in our everyday trials and tribulations.
Heavy on the bass and deeper on the vocals, Luster steadily beats a path forward with some nice changes of pace and some skilfully slick drumming. This song is very reminiscent of late 60s, early 70s in its super cool and retro styling.
King Bee has more than a sting in its tail with its killer riff and melancholy soundtrack. You can almost feel the pain and anguish as Coma Hole reach anxiously out to you with guitars weeping beautifully in unison with Eryka Fir’s doom-laden vocals.
Heavy distortion never sounded so good, NOOSES is not only heavy on the pedal and wicked on the ears but also my favourite track on the album. The piano finish fits in perfectly and was a lovely surprise.
The slower and more instrumental Ascendance teases and tantalises with its grunge meets lo-fi metal vibe. This slow burning tune builds up in intensity without ever needing to fully blow a gasket as we come to a slow and steady climax.
I had to listen to The Hand Of Severance several times before I really appreciated the time and effort that Coma Hole had put into producing this excellent recording. The Hand Of Severance is an interesting and enjoyable album that I almost guarantee will grow on you more and more each and every time you listen to it. If you like a bit of stoner, psychedelic or doom metal then make sure you check out Coma Hole and The Hand Of Severance, it is certainly a labour of love but most definitely worth the effort. Recommended.
(4 / 5)
