I am not surprised at all that COHOL toured Japan with Portal.  I could see how they would contrast each other.  COHOL have a much cleaner guitar sound and it does not sound like they play eight string guitars.  In watching some live videos I can see where stage attire might be similar to an extent.

The second song “Infrastructure” has unbelievable layering going in the string section from sharp buzzsaw phord chords to layered dissonant harmonies over sharply abrasive vocals.  I would compare the vocals to a band like Summon or maybe to an extent Dimmu Borgir. The clean section of “Infrastructure” is quite breathtaking.

The following song “Chaos Ruler” feels like being thrown into a different frying pan and for some reason reminds of Behemoth’s Demigod.  For the sake of this review we could call it triumphant riffing, invoking the feeling of going into battle.

Osmose Productions continues to be one of the best International underground metal labels there is.  They seem to always find unique sounding artists. From bands like Immortal to Marduk to Angel Corpse to even Impaled Nazarene it seems like they always find the most eclectic talent across the world.

COHOL has created a very memorable album here and being on the Osmose roster is no surprise after listening to all of Rigen.  Rigen is meant for anyone that is looking for an avant garde black/death record that is well produced. Give this one a chance if you are looking for something outside of the burial vault.

Though relapsed on a Japanese label and with Japanese song titles (even if I was able to find some loose translations), COHOL (standing for Crying Of Humanity On the Liturgy) don’t seem to carry any of that inherent  Japanese quirkiness or weirdness. Instead, the band goes for a no-nonsense, direct form of slightly progressive blackened metalcore, that reminds me a little of Heaven Shall Burn or As Hope Dies (I get a very strong “Legions Bow to Faceless God” vibe at times) with a slight frosty black metal sheen.

Comprised of three very competent musicians (Hiromasa [bass/vocals], Itaru [vocals/guitar] and Bomber [Drums]) and a perfectly competent and apt local production, the nine tracks (seven songs, one intro and one interlude) exude a confidence and knowledge of Western metal, both European and American. Japanese lyrics aside, the whole affair could have come from the East Coast or somewhere from Scandinavia with a robust but raw guitar tone that balances blackened fuzz and a sterner rhythm section. The vocals are a harsh black rasp (with the odd growl), making for most of the bristling black metal visage, but some very small injections of experimentation and progressive (acoustics, spoken words etc), litter the tracks with a sense of elegance here and there.

While all the tracks are solid, standouts have to be the second track “Cry Beyond the Mourned”, fierce “Beheaded Lies By False Charge”, the somber mid-paced number “Repetition”, which displays a surprising amount of control and clarity amid the rest of the ripping music. The chunkier “Under the Carbonized World” and “In Decay, They Fall” cement the Heaven Shall Burn comparison, but with higher register vocals. Overall, the album is just a quality album from start to finish.

“Deserted , and Waiting For…” ends the album with a rangy 6+ minute perfectly paced track that puts a varied and emotional end note to the album. It signifies that COHOL are more than a flash in the pan or some eccentric or overly done Japanese noise. They have a genuine passion and skill for a known genre and still manage to make it their own. Thus, I do hope that some sort of an international distro get s hold of these guys.