Well, shit. Now they went and stole our insurgent satanic country blues. Sweden, that is. And THE COFFINSHAKERS. To be fair, neither the band nor the subgenre is new. The band formed in 1995 and the subgenre, well, I’m not sure when Horror Country clawed itself to the surface, but if you sifted through the hardened soil in the sub-basements over at Bloodshot Records in Chicago, I’m sure you’d find evidence dating back far earlier than 1995. With that said, on September 15, 2023 they released their third album, “Graves, Release Your Dead,” via the ever eclectic Svart Records. It’s as fun as a walk in the cemetery on a rainy, moonless night.    

With typical Swedish precision musicianship and flawless production values, perfectly enunciated English, and clean baritone vocals backed by the newly added and supremely haunting female vocals (Rebecca) the album is a sheer pleasure to listen to. I mean, I've seen Imelda May live and I've bought THE CRAMPS albums when the band was new, but I am a long way from being a rockabilly fan. I also have more than one TRAILER BRIDE album and I fucking love Scott Biram, but I’m not a country fan either. But THE COFFINSHAKERS made me rethink my convictions. Maybe there is room in my headspace for some novelty country horror. I can slot it right in there next to TWIN TEMPLE.    

We haven’t had an album from THE COFFINSHAKERS since 2007, so “Graves, Release Your Dead” is something of a dark treat. Comprising ten tracks, the albums runs a solid 38 minutes. There are no interlude fillers or instrumentals, though the title track eases us into the album with a symphony of church bells and what sounds like someone digging up a grave. All ten tracks are very even handed—no massive riffs, break out solos, or exploratory jams—just that bouncy country bassline with an assortment of string work (guitar, fiddle) weaving around it like some jaunty Halloween barn dance. My favorite tracks are the soulful “Wretches,” the lingering “River of Souls” (punched up by Rebecca’s ethereal backing), and the epic “The Great Silence” with all its orchestral flourishes (especially the cello outro). This last track, by the way, does homage to the 1968 revisionist spaghetti western of the same name.  

In all honesty the thing about music so tied to formulaic rhythms is that it wears thin quickly. Which is why most people have to take their rockabilly and hillbilly blues in small doses—except, of course, for hardcore fans. As an extreme metal enthusiast, I need to be careful about what stones I choose to throw, so I guess I’ll just shut the hell up.

THE COFFINSHAKERS. Country Horror. What a find! For the uninitiated, “Graves, Release Your Dead” is a fantastic intro to this subgenre and this band. For existing fans, there is no need to convert the converted. This is a great comeback album. A rare treat indeed.