C.O.F.F.I.N – ‘Australia Stops’ (Bad Vibrations)

C.O.F.F.I.N – ‘Australia Stops’ (Bad Vibrations)

If you prefer the US re-dubbed version of Mad Max, George Miller’s 1979 post-apocalyptic vision of the future, then hit the homepage button now, because C.O.F.F.I.N are about as Australian as every millimetre of Mick “Two Fingers” Simpson’s beer belly. Just take one look at the front cover of ‘Australia Stops’, the band’s fifth album to date, and there’s no disputing these madmen from the Northern Beaches of Sydney really do suffer for their art. I mean who has a mullet in 2023? Well, other than the members of Rough Gutts, obviously. (Ha!)

Yeah, these four guys are like a Cosmic Psychos and Asteroid B-612 jam band playing Bea Smith’s birthday bash at Boggo Road Jail, that’s how bloody Australian they are, and they sound totally bloody bonza too! Just take one listen to the album’s opening track (and lead video) ‘Give Me A Bite’ and tell me I’m wrong.  The opening guitar licks of this track slap you straight across the face before vocalist and drummer Ben Portnoy (no relation…I hope) literally spits the song’s lyrics in it too. There’s something very Hip Priests-like about the “spit in my wounds” refrain too, and that’s certainly no bad thing, eh pop pickers? 

I must admit that when the band released their ‘Children In Finland Fighting In Norway’ (think about it) album a few back, I was already balls deep into a playlist featuring the likes of Stiff Richards, Private Function and Civic, so that record’s dozen tracks kind of passed me by, but here in 2023 with no such distractions to take my (bonk) eye off the C.O.F.F.I.N shaped prize, I’m all about the mullet maaaaan.

‘Cut You Off’ reminds me of just how great Airbourne used to be before they recorded the same album four times over, mixing the Rose Tattoo riffage with Motorhead attitude to absolute perfection. ‘City Sun’ meanwhile appears to be an ode to a man with the head of a horse, so I’m always going to love it aren’t I?

‘Keep It Dark’ and ‘Lovers Leash’ quickly follow and continue this four to the floor approach before ‘Beasts’ chugs its harp beating black heart past the record’s midway point, and I can’t help but think of Stevie Young’s old band Starfighters and their classic debut album every time I hear this one.   

For the second half of ‘Australia Stops’ the album’s title track introduces us to a further five song knuckle sandwich of punch drunk rock ‘n’ roll, the highlight of which (for me anyway) is the blistering one – two of ‘Through The Sewer’ and ‘Faceless’ a fine duo of tunes for the children of Generation Z to truly lose their shit over, just like they have been to the likes of Amyl & The Sniffers and The Chats.

Hotter than a rollin’ dice, C.O.F.F.I.N will hopefully be back soon to rule the roads of the UK (they did a run of shows back at the start of the summer) and promote ‘Australia Stops’ to the max, In the meantime we can all get excited about this mighty fine record hitting the record shop racks on September 15th.

Play it loud folks, PLAY IT LOUD!

You can pre-order ‘Australia Stops’ via the following link; http://coffin.lnk.to/AustraliaStops

Social links: Facebook / Instagram

Author: Johnny Hayward

Australian rockers C.O.F.F.I.N announce new album ‘Australia Stops’ due via Bad Vibrations 

Australian rockers C.O.F.F.I.N announce new album ‘Australia Stops’ due via Bad Vibrations 

Sydney Northern Beaches’ very own hard-biting rockers C.O.F.F.I.N are announcing their fifth full-length studio album today entitled ‘Australia Stops’, the highly anticipated follow-up to their monumental ‘Children In Finland Fighting In Norway’ album from 2020. Due for release this coming September 15th via Bad Vibrations in Europe, the new album comes off the back of the band’s tour with Amyl and the Sniffers in 2022, and their recent UK tour dates in May.

Pre Order Here

‘Australia Stops’ was recorded in January 2023 at The Pet Food Factory studio with producer Jason Whalley (Frenzal Rhomb) behind the desk. A record that showcases a collection of diverse and gripping new works that highlight the band’s evolution into more melodious, 1970’s Australiana and boogie rock and roll.

Frenzied, high-voltage guitars, thumping rhythms, flowing melody and clever, captivating lyrics exhibit an undeniable progression in composition and songwriting, while still unmistakably the C.O.F.F.I.N that fans world-wide have come to worship over their 18-year lifespan.

Following the release of previous single ‘Cut You Off’, C.O.F.F.I.N return today with a second chomp on ‘Australia Stops’ in new single ‘Give Me A Bite’. It’s the album’s opening track and comes out of the traps all guns blazing, tapping into their love of Detroit rock n’ roll and proto-punk.

“Throughout a chunk of the Covid lockdowns I was still working full time on construction sites and in the art department of film sets,” explains vocalist and drummer Ben Portnoy. “For weeks my Friday routine was to come home and blast this bootlegged Stooges LP from France. It was recommended and sold to me by Ray Ahn of the Hard-Ons who works at Utopia Records. It’s made up of piecemeal demos and blown-out jams by the band, all of which are bursting with amplified energy. I was really missing jamming with my friends and showing up to our sweaty storage unit/jam space in Brookvale with new inspiration from the week’s listening. Trying to resolve this, I got on the video chat with Aaron one Friday night and we did our best to nut something out that had a sense of that sound we love so much.

“What’s it saying?” continues Ben. “Well, you can only get for so long without giving …without giving me a bite.”

For those who are no strangers to the Australian highways, ‘Australia Stops’ may be best recognised as words donned on the back of truck mud flaps. To C.O.F.F.I.N, ‘Australia Stops’ are words that became a polysemous idea and observation on Australian society, culture, art, politics and progression. “When the city burns up you get out, when the flint hits shot you get down”, lyrics roared by Ben, a look into ‘idle-Australia’, our government action (or lack thereof) to social issues and the overarching notion of fear of change in this country.

While the theme ‘Australia Stops’ poses political questions and ideals, it also synchronously shines light on the eminence of community, the healthy beating heart of art and music, the beautiful landscapes and divergent nature surroundings held dear within Australia. With this, ‘Australia Stops’ is neither a fully positive or negative elucidation of this country. It is a celebration of the things we are lucky to have, while always trying to encourage and inspire those around us to try and do better.

‘Australia Stops’ will be released on Friday September 15th by Damaged Record Co (Clowns, Private Function, VOIID) in Australia, Goner Records (Eddy Current Suppression Ring, Jay Reatard, Ty Segall) in North America and Bad Vibrations (Los Bitchos, Crows, Baby Cool) in Europe.

Pre-order the album here: coffin.lnk.to/AustraliaStops

Social links: Facebook / Instagram

BANDCAMP https://coffin-aus.bandcamp.com/merch