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

Fangus

Emerald Dream
From The Urn Records (2026)

The needle drops, and there’s no introductory sweaty handshake. Fangus doesn’t care for niceties; they’re ready to get down to brass-knuckle business. With their debut full-length, Emerald Dream, the Montreal quintet has exhumed a sound that feels less like a tribute to the early '70s and more like a master tape found rotting in a damp basement behind a stack … Read more

Drakulas

Midnight City
Dirtnap, Wild Honey Records (2026)

I’m assuming Midnight City is the “fictionalized New York-esque metropolis” where the band/gang members of Drakulas survive(d in the mid to late 70's;). It’s also the third album by this Austin TX based, concept driven supergroup. Not really sure if I’m supposed to out these dudes but their secret identities include members of Riberboat Gamblers, Rise Against, High Tension Wires … Read more

Lethal Limits

Elevate EP
GhettoBlaster Productions (2025)

As far as I can gather Jeff Corso has been playing in bands in the Bay Area for the past 20 years but seems like exclusively hardcore until now. Full disclosure: I’m only reviewing this because Aesop from Hickey plays drums. That said, I generally only review stuff I like, so go figure. This doesn’t sound like Hickey but since … Read more