Horror Country n Western. From Sweden?

Hmm. I like dark country. Whether it be from the Man in Black, RAW, Chris Stepleton or Hank Topless. Even a bit of Ghoultown if the mood is right – and the mood needed for both Ghoultown and The Coffinshakers is definitely one that mixes Carry on Screaming with Carry on Cowboy rather than Bone Tomahawk.

The style of music is reminiscent of earlier Johnny Cash when his tales were more western troubadour than prison visiting everyman.

Tongue is firmly in cheek throughout the album, which is lucky as it thus avoids being speared by the oversized fangs that I expect lead vocalist Rob Coffinshaker surely wears. The fact that The Coffinshakers have been plying their shtick since 1995 shows that they are doing summat right.

With tracks entitled “Graves, Release Your Dead”, “Reverends of Doom” and “Prince of Darkness” you can probably guess at the Hammer Horror style tales that lie within.

Guitars twang, bass throbs like it is played on a box and every so often a fiddle cuts through. You can hear the saloon doors swing and smell the sarsaparilla in the air.  It’s goofy Halloween dress up fun and Rob’s vocal sounds authentic and much more dustbowl and spurs than fjords and forests.

The openers “Graves Release Your Dead “and “City of the Dead” had me grinning and tapping my toes whilst “Wretches” pulled me in with its sweet melancholy. I forgot the subject matter for a moment and just lost myself in the down home harmonies and sweet guitar picking.

Things take a lurch to the West with The Siren’s Call as a Dick Dale style surf rock tsunami hits mixed with Ghostriders in the sky and “Holes of Oblivion” channels Sultans of Swing (yeah I said it) and Vaudeville in technicolour. Made me grin!

“Prince of Darkness” mixes upbeat Country with a bit of skiffle for a friendly Southern Gent of a Count Dracula who makes threat of blood draining agonising death sound like a hayride!  The single Reverends of Doom is a schlocky anthem dripping in ketchup rather than blood, soprano howls blow in on the prairie wind as the Reverends clump into town. I am just waiting for Fred and Thelma to unmask the janitor.

Down In Flames has a galloping pace and more of the haunting female backing wails – all I can picture now is a hybrid of cheap Western romance novels and the EC 1960’s horror comics that I read the reprints of in the 1980’s.

I suppose that is The Coffinshakers in a dusty moonshine bottle – the romance of the Wild West and the technicolour schlock of 60’s horror before both genres became brutalized by the coming 70’s.

Keeping with the cinematic theme Release Your Dead ends with a proper swansong for a senorita to sway to as she clings to her fallen bloodied love as his life-force blooms in the dust . (Maybe I can write one of those romance novels – must putting heaving bosom in there somewhere).

The Coffinshakers have made a two layered album – a celebration of late 50’s early 60’s cowboy country and a fun carnival of horrors. It tweaks both the funny bone and the ole emotions.

(7/10 Matt Mason)

https://www.facebook.com/coffinshakers

https://thecoffinshakers.bandcamp.com/album/graves-release-your-dead