Crushing. That’s the best word to describe COFFINS’ sound. I just can’t believe these guys are from Japan. The style they play is not common in their country, even though there are some bands that also have lots of influences from the same era. Anyway, their new EP, "March Of Despair" reeks of the stagnant stench of the 80s, just like most of their discography. Production wise, the guitars and bass have a thick, devastating tone. The huge drums and the meaty bass just add to the awesome heaviness present in each song. And last, but not least, Uchino’s vocals are just great; obscure and deep. The engulfing atmosphere in this EP follows their previous releases in terms of evilness and mid-paced grinding style. ‘In Bloody Sewage’ is the song that, besides being my favorite, showcases the best (or worst?) of the COFFINS trademark sound. No fillers here: 30 minutes of gut-wrenching Metal is what you get. Each song keeps up to the pace, interesting enough not to let you down. I mean, this ain’t Progressive Metal. The song structures are not complex, but, in this case, complexity is not needed to make your ears bleed. And to top it off, there is a great cover version of DEATH’s classic tune ‘Corpsegrinder’. This is a killer EP! Absolutely recommended! I am already looking forward for the next full length. Find more info here: www.coffins.jp, www.facebook.com/pages/Coffins/195059671583, www.myspace.com/intothecoffin, www.hammerheart.com