Review / 200 Words Or Less
Coffins / XXX Maniak
The Cracks of Doom

Creeping Vine (2008) Scottie

Coffins / XXX Maniak – The Cracks of Doom cover artwork
Coffins / XXX Maniak – The Cracks of Doom — Creeping Vine, 2008

To offend me takes special talent, talent that knows no boundaries to how far the one can push idea of indecency. People who believe there is nothing sacred, no subject matter too taboo that they cannot molest it. These people play in the XXX Maniak. The cover art alone on this made me ashamed to have the CD in my house, but then hearing XXX Maniak's songs brought me shame to think it could be promising. Sexist porno/gore grind that makes AC look like a Tooth and Nail act. They'll certainly never play ABC No Rio. Napalm Death shakes their collective heads.

Coffins, who drew my attention to disc, offer little to nothing new on The Cracks of Doom. By little, I mean the title track, "Cracks of Doom," which only a completest would long for, treading the same path of most of their other releases. Slow, heavy, sludgy by way of dirty distortion: we've heard it before, but better. By nothing new, I mean a cover of Cathedral's "Ebony Tears." Not straying too far from the original, the track only serves to show new listeners where Coffins got their influences.

Waste of money, and waste of time, period.

4.0 / 10Scottie • February 25, 2009

Coffins / XXX Maniak – The Cracks of Doom cover artwork
Coffins / XXX Maniak – The Cracks of Doom — Creeping Vine, 2008

Recently-posted album reviews

The Phase Problem

The Power Of Positive Thinking
Brassneck Records (2024)

I spent a good part of the late ‘90s annoyed at the abundance of Ramonescore. I’ll stand by my word: many of the bands of that era were carbon copies that didn’t bring anything new to the format. But time has passed and what was overdone is now a refreshing change of pace. For whatever reason, when I hear a … Read more

Totally Slow

The Darkness Intercepts
Refresh Records (2024)

I find Totally Slow a hard band to categorize. Their brand of melodic, hard punk is familiar and comforting -- rooted in ‘80s hardcore, ‘90s skatepunk, and post-something guitar-driven rock. The press release namedrops Dag Nasty and Hot Snakes, among others, which I think are good starting points. But while it’s familiar, it’s absolutely not a carbon copy. Like their forebearers, the songs … Read more

Steamachine

City of Death
Records Workshop (2023)

City Of Death is the third album from Polish noise makers Steamachine. Having dabbled in a few metal styles over their career, City Of Death has a heavy carnival influence to it which I have to say I really like. It's interesting just how much more sinister things sound when you pump eerie, jingly circus sounds amongst very dark, heavy, … Read more