Independent (label)
03 July 2017 (released)
15 November 2017
Meeting at the intersection of comedy, video games, and metal, Coral the Merknight vs. SEARANTULA is a hilarious and entertaining send-up of all things dark and nerdy. On the new album, It Weaves a Web of Metal, the Merknight himself is joined by Travis Orbin (Darkest Hour) and Adōn Fanion (Ghost Ship Octavius) to delve into the many facets and quandaries of the modern metal man. Through the whole record, the tongue is planted firmly in cheek while roasting stereotypes and hyperbolizing the trials of a man who at his core, just wants to get lost in video games and comic book universes. Though the premise isn't serious, the musicianship is, with all the driving grooves and pummelling breakdowns that you'd expect from a top-notch metal outfit.
After a not so standard disclaimer to prep us for the journey, we're off to the races with the self-explanatory 'Videogames > Girlfriends'. Laced with references to GTA V, various fantasy games, and fighting combos, our protagonist is fully immersed in another world when lo, the girlfriend comes pestering. Unfortunately, there are way too many video games to play to spare any time just 'hanging out' with the lady friend. The tune is peppered with soundbites and bit-crushed synths alongside the metal madness.
'500 + 500 = 1000 Miles' is an oddly brilliant mashup of The Proclaimers' 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) and Vanessa Carlton's 'A Thousand Miles' using the former as a blood-curdling intro to the latter. If there was any question of the silliness of this album, it is quelled by the growly rendition of Carlton's skip-along-to '90s romp. Coral the Merknight throws down dense doom chords over the nostalgically recognizable melody. They repeat this reimagining vein with their equally heavy rendition of the classic 'Jolene', rebranded 'ScarJo(lene)'.
The album keeps the laughs coming alongside the heavy grooves with tunes about dead fish, broken refrigerators, origin stories and the age-old debate of beer pong vs. flip cup. It Weaves a Web of Metal is a great listen start to finish. In a genre that is notorious for taking itself too seriously, this album laughs it all off.
