We had this big long intro ready to go here about how, even though we were researching the bands participating, the annual Grub, Sweat, And Beers fiestaval seemed to creep up on us over the summer and we completely missed out on coverage. In particular we missed out on covering Rhode Island’s Coma Hole who kick all kinds of sonic ass which is always a conundrum as we do tend to have a lot going on posting-wise (Even if it ain’t on the interwebs doesn’t mean we don’t have a dozen or so drafts going at one time) so timing is key.
That’s when we got a promo for CH’s recently announced sophomore outing Hand of Severance so Huzzah! Everything worked out! Wrong! You see, the record isn’t arriving until November 1st and despite really wanting to be that early we decided to hold off (Also because we may have gotten a copy before the thing was even officially announced). So Bandcamp feature then? Wrong again as BC tends to take the summer off. But now we find ourselves entering Fall and the first Bandcamp Friday in some time plus news (And a single) from the new record out and about which actually does kind of work out perfectly… even if it took some time.
Anyway!
There’s a lot to love on the Coma Hole Bandcamp currently where you can not only check out their epic debut release from 2022 but also preview some tracks from that aforementioned upcoming new album. And if that wasn’t enough you can bulk up your wardrobe with some “Bottom Heavy” booty shorts or perhaps a new tee or some physical media like Hand of Severance on CD which is scheduled to ship out 2 weeks ahead of the 11/1 release date (Yes, kids, you’ll get it ahead of street!)
But why should you care about all this (Read: we haven’t mentioned a thing about the “Coma Hole sound” yet) you might ask? Because the duo of Eryka Fir (Vocals/Bass/Guitar/Keys) and Steve Anderson (Drums) is a sonic force to be reckoned with. Their debut release packs a wallop with four magical tracks that run the gamut of fantastical Fuzz Rawk. Hell, opener “The Familiar” alone traverses Doom, Sludge, and Grunge during its’ almost 12 minute lifespan with Anderson’s frenetic drumming showing off only an inkling of that concentrated complexity that permeates the rest of the release as Fir packs a multi-instrumental punch with the strumming and Blues-soaked vocal approach that just elevates all of what Coma Hole produces to a higher plain of Heaviness. “Old Climb” is a fast one with Anderson bringing the beats and Fir laying it all out vocally while “Wind & Bone” is a whole vibe as Fir belts out a killer croon.
If you need a FFO thenComa Hole’s like (the) Melvins meets Fu Manchu meets Melissa Auf der Maur’s Hand Of Doom project (Remember that one that was all Black Sabbath covers???) in a nutshell who do quite the job at connecting the dots with some thematic material from Coma Hole‘s finale “Sinking” into HoS‘s opener and lead single “Alphaholics” which you can stream below.
And another cool thing about having the record hella early (Not meaning to brag, we swear!) is that we can hype up the just announced “Nevermind” single which, as of this typing, is dropping on September 5th. The second track on the November-slated release, “Nevermind” is a gorgeous fuzzed out Groove monster with a large bass hum at its’ core, wailing guitars and Fir’s vocals front and center. As for the rest of the new record? Well, you’ll have to wait for November (And obviously our review before that).
Coma Hole’s Bandcamp discography, along with pre-orders for can be found when you click here and for more from CH including upcoming live dates in support of the new record you can venture onto the interwebs by heading here, here or here.