THE COFFINSHAKERS: Graves, Release Your Dead

Release year: 2023
Label: Svart Records

It’s been a long, long wait. Swedish horror country legends The Coffinshakers released their previous album all the way back in 2007. Since then, apart from the occasional gig, one split 7″ and the compilation The Curse Of The Coffinshakers (reviewed here), it’s been as quiet as in a grave.

But that is not dead which can eternal lie, and so on. Rob Coffinshaker and his cohorts are back with a new album, their third in total. Something I’m sure many people never thought would happen.

In cases like this, one always has to temper expectations with caution. The first two albums were strong, in particular 2007’s self-titled second album. The Coffinshakers have never compromised quality. So at least I had plenty of expectations. But on the other hand, it’s been 16 years. Does the old magic remain?

Well, let me assuage your fears: it has. And then some.

Graves, Release Your Dead is everything you could hope for in a The Coffinshakers album. It’s atmospheric, dramatic, fun – and good. But at the same time, the long gestation time has left its mark on the sound. The new album represents a new development in the sound.

The advance single Prince Of Darkness played it safe and was a very standard, old school The Coffinshakers rockabilly song. And, in truth, not a particularly strong song at least in the context of the band. The rest of the album forsakes the boom chicka boom countrybilly for a more atmospheric sound that bears more resemblance to western music as opposed to country music. Yes, these are actually two different genres: country & western is a somewhat artificial amalgamation.

In a nutshell, Graves, Release Your Dead is more Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone than Johnny Cash. Epic, melancholic melodies weave plaintive atmospheres of open landscapes and dramatic scenes. Rob Coffinshaker’s lyrics anchor the cinematic drama firmly to the familiar Hammer Horror imagery: but it’s less tongue-in-cheek and overtly humorous than before. It remains fun, but it’s got at least an appearance of more seriousness.

Essentially, the new album picks up from where the previous album’s most atmospheric tracks – Last Night Down By The Grave, Walpurgis Night, From Here To Hell – left off. The electric guitars have a steel string sound reminiscent of Morricone and more dramatic country music. The drama is eerily augmented by Rebecca Fjällsby’s haunting backing vocals, like a banshee wailing in the distance. And Rob Coffinshaker, of course, dominates with his deep, expressive baritone.

Graves, Release Your Dead doesn’t have any instant classics such as the three previously mentioned tracks from the second album. In fact, it takes quite a while until the listener starts identifying the tracks from one another. However, this is not to the detriment of the album: it is less a collection of tracks than a whole. Taken as such, Graves, Release Your Dead is a most impressive release.

And over time, standout tracks do emerge. The almost languid, nocturnal atmospheres of Holes Of Oblivion paint darkly romantic pictures of impending doom; the strong western inflections of River Of Souls unite dark, ghostly, almost Victorian romanticism with a strongly cinematic feel; and the steady country plod of Wretches, perfected by harmonica, unites the tropés of the old west posse and the medieval mob with their torches and pitchforks into a masterpiece.

And speaking of masterpieces, the band have saved the best for last: closing the album is The Great Silence, a powerhouse of cinematic storytelling and drama. It is the dramatic climax of a classic spaghetti western; the cruel apex of a sinister ghost story; the final, ghastly and tragic completion of a tale of desperation and downfall. Cold chills run down the listener’s spine during this track, which demands complete attention.

I am going to make a bold claim. As much as I like all of The Coffinshaker’s albums, I am going to say this eclipses everything they’ve done before. This is their best album to date. I know many of you may sputter and show signs of disbelief at this, but I stand by my words.

Graves, Release Your Dead is everything great about The Coffinshakers, distilled and concentrated, and enhanced with new elements. It further emphasises their knack for the dramatic and the atmospheric, without ever becoming too serious or heavy for its own good. It’s a genuine step forward.

I’m pretty certain this here is the album of the year.

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