Review: Coscradh – Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld

February 27, 2026

Emerald Isle Chaos

Hailing from Dublin, Ireland, Coscradh plays a unique and frantic spin on the blackened death sound that makes them stand out from the rest of the scene in terms of chaotic songwriting. This was shown with their debut in 2022, Nahanagan Stadial that was a wild ride of aggression with an Irish flair that made it feel like music to a historic battle. There’s a chaotic atmosphere that threw everything including the kitchen sink into fast riffs, an evil vibe and the ridiculous vocal variety that included some of the most brilliant wails and howls that I’d heard from someone. 4 years after this impressive debut, they now have a follow-up with their second album, Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld.

The album begins with an intro track, “Five Fifths Awaken.” Initially you would be concerned by the length of this, but the band does a good job having stuff going on throughout the time whereas others sometimes spend too long in these ambient sections. With the help of the vocal delivery alongside the guitars, Coscradh builds up the anticipation really well ahead of the first full song. “Carving the Causeway to the Otherworld” is a great introduction to their more ruthless take on the blackened death sound. In addition, I like how this song gets even more unhinged as it progresses. The band turns up the unhinged factor with the next track “Adhradh Dé Ghoac” that gets more frantic and hectic. This song also shows off how mental the howling vocals can be.

What I ended up liking in the following track, “Caesar’s Revelation (Hibernia L. VI V. XIV ad XVI et XXIV)” is the build-up throughout: it gets heavier as the song continues. Here in particular as well, the vocals remind me of Immortal in a way which felt new. After a quick interlude of horns/ambiance in “The Calling,” “Scythe of Saturn” kicks off with fast riffs, frenzied blast-beats and angry vocals. The guitar solos here really add to the turbulent atmosphere of Coscradh’s music. This song and “Adhradh Dé Ghoac” are probably my favorite tracks on the album altogether.

The band also shows off their groovier side during “Badhah’s Shadows” which I didn’t expect, but it works well thanks to also keeping the intensity throughout, a major strength for the band. Closing off this album is the 9+-minute track “Opening the Gates to Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra,” that does an extremely good job in keeping the momentum throughout without it feeling padded for the sake of ending on an epic closer. Furthermore, it shows off more of the Immortal-inspired side that fits so well for their music.

Once again, Coscradh shows why they are probably one of the better bands in the black/death scene right now with a very good follow-up record in Carving the Causeway of the Otherworld. While not comprising with their prime sound, they were able to add a couple things that freshens up the music but doesn’t alienate or scare way listeners who enjoyed their debut. It’s embraced by strong songwriting throughout while producing a chaotic, intense atmosphere carried by aggressive riffs/guitar solos, frantic drums and unhinged vocals. While I personally think I liked Nahanagan Stadial a tad more, it doesn’t take way that Coscradh delivered another enjoyable record and they are still one of the more exciting acts in the underground scene right now.