COFFIN ON TYRES (Red) CD
It had been a long time since I had received any news from our French neighbors. As far as I remember, it was the last album from Glowsun that I found in the Cosmic Lava mailbox. Now it's up to COFFIN ON TYRES who released their self-financed debut album in 2010. They also have a strong preference for heavy and fuzzy riffs, but in contrast to Glowsun, COFFIN ON TYRES have added a dash of goth to their sound. This is particularly noticeable in the case of vocalist Geoffrey Codant, whose dark vocal style reminds me of Andrew Eldritch or Peter Steele. This works pretty well and is somewhat different of what we are used to hear in the field of heavy fuzz-driven rock.
Of course, there are also the typical Kyuss-esque elements on 'Red'. The title track is driven forward by a monstrous groove and will certainly appeal to all fans of Kyuss and their associates. Apart from that, both guitars are laying down a lot of thick, muscular riffs, but that does not mean that 'Red' is dominated by loud and distorted guitars. 'Safe Place' is a good example for the band's talent in creating dynamic tensions. And they are certainly not afraid to express their emotions. They have songs with emotional depth and the best thing is that it doesn't feel forced or artificial. One can hear that COFFIN ON TYRES feel really at home in their goth-tinged world.
But let me stress again that 'Red' is primarily a rock album. Also worthy of mentioning is a certain kind of sleaziness beneath the surface mingled with the smell of booze and burning rubber. Despite the heaviness, COFFIN ON TYRES write accessible songs which sometimes display a canny pop sensibility. All this is rounded off by an exceptionally powerful and fat production, yet still sounds very natural. COFFIN ON TYRES will certainly not write music history and I must say that I am sometimes bored with all the sleaze, but nevertheless it must be noted that 'Red' is a good start for this French band.
(KK)