Review COLDCELL “Age of Unreason”

Basel, Switzerland is the home base of a band called ColdCell. The five-piece band from the alpine country is currently releasing their fifth studio album “Age of Unreason”, which is a furious one.
ColdCell started with their debut album “Generation Abomination” in 2012, and since then they have released three more records, and have found with AOP Records a new label to release their latest devilish blast.

The cliché says that Switzerland is known for cheese, great mountain views and bands like Krokus and Gotthard. But there is also a very fine extreme metal scene with bands like the mighty Celtic Frost, and all the related adoptions that have been pioneers for decades. ColdCell is another protagonist of Swiss extreme metal, as they are fully into black metal. Racing speed, hoarse vocals and a massive sound frame is what the band offers and it’s the fine additions, like the chiming bells on “Hope and Failure”, that add the extra spice to this blackened metal feast.

“Dead to This World” is the dystopian lead single that has already been revealed and shows a band that isn’t just about high speed, but also has the ability to create atmospheric moments without losing any of the sinister vibe that runs through the entire album.

Photo Credit: Oliver König

“Left” picks up on this basic mood, and while it is kept at a slower pace and sometimes delves into the realms of doom, ColdCell create an excellent level of variety that sets them apart from many other bands.

The slo-mo riff that opens “Solidarity or Solitude” is another milestone on this release, spreading an evil aura before “Meaningless” begins with a malevolent expression. A smart move was to add some female vocals to the song. Ines Brodbeck (Inezona) gives “Meaningless” a fragile and grieving feeling. Darkness embraces your soul and pulls you towards the abyss without falling back on the typical formula.

The last two tracks of the album can easily maintain the quality impression you get up to that moment. Sadness and darkness are the main driving force of the album and it’s “Discord” marking the powerful finale.

“Age of Unreason” has the potential to strengthen ColdCell’s position in blackened metal, as the album fuses versatility and harshness. The result is a hellish musical cocktail that is the perfect counterpart to the colors of summer.