Hailing from the Colombian underground and apart of the Enclave Mágico Indómito label, Coagula presents us with two mind melting and unabashedly raw black metal releases that act as a powerful pairing. With a raw and mystical sound these cultists are able to conjurer some dark imagery with their hazy production and hypnotically melodic approach. There’s a fleeting reminder of Ildjarn here, a sort of mid-paced punk laced raw black metal that seems ever so common amongst these lofi black metal acts. But, Coagula seems a little different and their second album stands out a bit more to me compared to the first.
I (2023)
A raw and scratchy guitar is melded with the shimmering cymbal that crashes into a noisy and chaotic romp of a track. This is certainly reminiscent of Bone Awl or Ildjarn as mentioned before, but this is not as ear-piercing and more hazy, playing into this wall of noise with ghastly vocals screeching over the tight instrumentals. Thankfully, the band provided the instrumentals of the four tracks, the fifth being an instrumental outro. What’s interesting with the instrumentals is that you can really take your time and listen to how tight the band plays through all foggy static that builds a great atmosphere. But, as I’ve always felt has been a draw back is how it all sort of melds together due to this production approach. It can get a little tiring hearing it after a while, but in short bursts its a really satisfying listen, especially the instrumentals.
II (2024)
A lonely somber guitar rattles out a melody as a grand sounding drum crashes into the front and brings the song marching forth. As with the previous album, its text book raw black metal. But the approach this time feels much more vibrant, the sound a bit clear though still sporting that all around cold production. The vocals are much more varied, with deep gutturals and horrific and outlandish utterances from the depths of the underworlds. Its much more intense than before and feels much more in your face. Its an interesting transition to hear and the musical similarities between the two albums instrumentally certainly makes this a great companion piece. A brother album to the sister, given the covers. The fourth track, Creaturas de Acero & Sangre (Creatures of Steel & Blood) feels like a magnum opus and a powerful track with a triumphant guitar riff that sticks to you long after ending the album. The vocals are classic, cold and raw, with some hideous utterances that seem unnatural. Though the instrumental lingers on as the riff truly is powerful and you get caught in that hypnotic fury that black metal is known for.
These two albums are stand out amongst the underground and Coagula makes their mark alongside the enclave. The raw and hypnotic instrumentation is something that I think any true black metal fan could get behind and appreciate. While, I do find the second album to be much stronger than the first, they’re both worth a listen as the band is incredibly tight and captures what makes the South American scene still one of the strongest in the black metal underground.