UMUR
"Coffin Up the Nails" is a compilation release by US deathgrind/death metal act Misery Index. The compilation was released through Repulsive Echo Records in July 2021. It´s the follow-up release to the band´s 6th full-length studio album "Rituals of Power" from 2019, although a couple of singles were released in the intermediate years in "Zombie Prescription" (2019) and "When Glory Beckons" (2021). Both single tracks are featured on "Coffin Up the Nails".
"Coffin Up the Nails" is a rarities type of compilation album, featuring cover tracks, remixed/alternate versions of tracks, and some instrumental demo tracks. The six cover tracks by Bolt Thrower, Snapcase, M.O.D., Nailbomb, Sepultura, and Ministry, are all powerful and well performed. I´d especially mention "Zombie Prescription" by Snapcase and "Man of Your Dreams" by M.O.D. as some really great cover versions where Misery Index manage to put their own spin on the songs, but all covers on the album are worth a listen. I´m not sure I needed three instrumental demo versions of "Ghosts of Catalonia", "Thrown into the Sun", and "Traitors", or the remixed/alternate mix versions of "I Disavow", "Siberian", and "Conquistadores", but even those tracks are still of a good quality and I´m well entertained while they are playing.
The sound production varies a bit from track to track, which is of course only natural as the material come from different releases, years, and recording studios. All tracks feature at least decent sounding productions, and some (like the cover tracks), feature very well sounding production values. "Coffin Up the Nails" is a bit hard to rate, as there are some really strong cover tracks featured on the compilation, but also some less interesting tracks. It is overall a quality release though compiling some of the rarity tracks from 2008 up until now, continuing the tradition of rarity compilation releases initiated with the "Pulling Out the Nails" compilation from 2009 (featuring rarity tracks from the early part of the band´s career). A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.