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Darkness falls. A cold wind sweeps from the snow-covered Carpathians, making windows rattle and the house creak. Something stirs, eyes glowing red in the night, leaving footprints full of grave dirt. What nocturnal terror is this? It’s the long-awaited third album by The Coffinshakers!
While most bands lose their edge over time, The Coffinshakers remain timeless—eternal as the undead. Known for their dark humor, their music also evokes something haunting and profound in its rugged, melancholy ballads. This latest release finds them at their most potent: a band aging like fine wine—though, of course, vampires never drink...wine.
Fans will recognize Rob’s sardonic chuckles and the deep rumble of his voice that still makes yellow-bellies hide. Yet, there’s newfound power and subtlety in his vocals, as well as in the guitar, bass, and drums, which now reflect broader classic Americana influences. The Coffinshakers have tapped directly into the raw essence of country, bluegrass, folk, and other roots music from the American heartlands, sharpening their fangs with every note. And though their tongue remains firmly in cheek, there’s a fresh apocalyptic urgency in this third album.
From the ominous marching drums of "Graves, Release Your Dead" to the ghostly echoes of "River of Souls" and the fierce finale "Down in Flames," every song portends the end of it all. This dark humor comes with a genuine streak of menace—after all, vampires may not shed tears, but they surely laugh wickedly as they rise from the bone orchard.
— Per Faxneld, Södertörn University, Department of Religion and Vampirism, author of Satanic Feminism, Offertrådet, The Devil's Party, and others.
The Coffinshakers' previous nocturnal glories include their debut album, We Are The Undead (1998), and their self-titled sophomore record (2007). After these releases, the cadaverous quartet mostly retreated to the silence of the tomb, surfacing only occasionally to perform undead rituals live. But now, after many moons, the time has come for another haunting. Once again, the dead shall live, the living shall die, and Musick shall untune the sky.
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