THE COFFINSHAKERS

What if Johnny Cash had been more interested in vampires, werewolves, and German Expressionist cinema than in “walking the line”? Then this “pale man in black” would probably have become the frontman of the Swedish psych combo The Coffinshakers, who combine country and rock ‘n’ roll with the grimness and melancholy of gothic horror. Their first single, “Dracula Has Risen from the Grave,” inspired by classic Hammer horror films, was released in 1996, and since then, this exceptional band has been an indispensable part of the psycho & rock ‘n’ roll landscape. Think of The Misfits with Nick Cave on vocals, but with songs about necromancers, Halloween, voodoo, nightmares, Walpurgis Night, and of course Transylvania. Pure vampire blues as if you’re goddamn ordering “I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine” from the jukebox of a shady bar in Kentucky in 1954. A nail in your coffin, these coffin Swedes.