Cough - Ritual Abuse

In a recent interview for this humble webzine, Cough’s guitarist and vocalist David Cisco confessed that their newest album “Ritual Abuse” was written during a time the band was facing a lot of personal problems and living in miserable conditions.
I don’t find it hard to believe ‘cause this second record, first for Relapse Records sounds genuinely desperate and grieving as if the Virginia’s four-piece struggled thru all sorts of unimaginable trials and tribulations.
Hypnotic and harsh in equal measure, “Ritual Abuse” is a spellbinding doom-metal journey with little incursions into dark psychedelia, and the overall atmosphere is vaguely reminiscent of acts like Yob and Electric Wizard. Guitarists David Cisco and Brandon Marcey pound gargantuan riffs with a disturbing intensity, while the vocals of Cisco and bass player Parker Chandler oscillate between anguished, caustic screams and a clean tortured whine. Some of their monolithic power chords also show an epic quality not too far removed from a traditional doom-metal act like Candlemass.
Each and every song on “Ritual Abuse” is awash with an atmosphere of despair and grief, even the mournful, melodically-driven “Crooked Spine”, a song that might be considered a bit atypical in Cough’s discography reflects that mood.
Producer Sanford Parker, member of Minsk, uses his analogue synthesizer-sounds to great effect, adding nuances of psychedelia to broaden Cough’s sound a little bit. These subtle touches really enhance what’s an otherwise strong and disconcerting doom record. (8/10)

Luca Niero

Band info: www.myspace.com/cough666
Label info: www.relapse.com
For fans of: Yob, Electric Wizard, Ramesses, Eagle Twin