From the dark shadows of Melbourne, a band are emerging with a whole bunch of horrifying releases just in time for Halloween. Not to be put in any one genre category, the "horror-rock-metal-punk" band Coffin Carousel are gearing up to continue the hype from their dual single release Bat Shit Crazy/Toxic Candy with a new video and a free single download.
"I know it's something that won't catch on here because I know that hardcore music is still very strong."
If you can expect anything from this band's theatrics. The video clip accompanying Bat Shit Crazy - the lead single from their (yet-to-be-released) debut LP - is the second instalment in a Batman/Sin City-inspired, good-vs-evil saga. A chase through dilapidated downtown alleys, a mysterious light leaking from a bag held by the 'the bad girls' and our heroes, the band. "That's the mystery," lead singer and guitarist Howard Von Noise laughs when asked about the contents of the bag. "I'm a big Quentin Tarantino fan so I pulled some inspiration from Pulp Fiction: you see this reoccurring suitcase, you just see the light that comes out." The characters "symbolise the kinda corruption underground, involvements with society... Good triumphing over evil". "Lyrically, Bat Shit Crazy was inspired by a few things, I guess calling things out in life as I see them. Relationships, friendships... come out and tell it how it is. It's not being sugar coated," he explains.
As a follow up, the band are planning on "putting out a new song" and a "Tim Burton-inspired" video clip as a free download "for the fans that have supported the band over the years, just as a thank you", he reveals. Finding a solid fanbase given their diverse sound "has been a challenge in Australia," Von Noise muses. "A lot of our social media coverage does come from Europe and Canada and South America. I know it's something that won't catch on here because I know that hardcore music is still very strong, but there's definitely metalheads that are into more rock and rock fans that are into a heavier sound, and the punk fans."
Coffin Carousel is detailed in their aesthetic, melding elements of metal and horror with a little bit of quirky caricature thrown in for good measure. The horror rock-metal fashion "has always been around" he says. "It regenerates every now and then, then sort of dies off... I've been doing it with bands for the last ten years and when I started there wasn't many bands around doing it... another generation comes through and picks up on it and supports it, and if people want to find it they can find bands around their hometown that have probably always been there, but they're probably not noticed so much because it's such a niche."
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"I'm not too interested [in trends]. With trends in music they just change so quick and I know some bands follow the trends but I'm thinking long-term with this band and having songs that carry through time, not [clinging] to a trend to get noticed."
