Coffin Breath's m.o. is not writing catchy tunes, and they are certainly not radio friendly.
"We don't make music you'd want to listen to every day," Coffin Breath front man J.D. Burns says.
It's a refreshing slice of honesty from a musician, especially a lead singer. The band's songs are powerful but admittedly, that's at face value. The live shows are not elaborate productions, unless you are talking about kicking holes in drywall. The group is called Coffin Breath—what do you expect?
As confident as the members of Coffin Breath are in what they are not, they are less certain about what they are. They call themselves punk, but it's easy to see the misgiving in their faces when they are labeled as merely "punk rockers."
They are sophisticated metal heads. Wearing the requisite black band T-shirts, the members of Coffin Breath wax poetic about the evolution of hard-core rock music. They mention taxonomic classifications like horrorcore and grindcore as descendants of the originals—The Ramones and Dead Kennedys.
Guitarist Ryann Shepherd, who is from Boston, Mass., is a veritable guru of all things hard-core. He speaks about the genre with the respect of a cinema buff or sommelier.
His band mates, who are all from Jackson, unanimously describe Coffin Breath's music, with its heavy guitar riffs and Burn's jackhammer vocals, as "intense." Performances are no leisurely affair, often sparking aggressive moshing or flailing fists of contended rage from fans. But just because the shows get rowdy does not mean that Coffin Breath's music is simply a soundtrack to a melee.
"At some point, we stopped writing songs about zombies and werewolves and decided to let our lives influence our music. It's cathartic," Burns says.
Asked what inspires them, he replies: "I know it's going to sound emo, but something as simple as a dreary day. That's what I want our music to evoke—a sense of utter hopelessness."
It's strange, such powerful, downright dismal words coming from the energetic and affable front man, who looks like Daniel Radcliffe with muttonchops and wild, elongated bangs.
Shepherd, the Bostonian guitarist wearing a Bruins hat, likens Coffin Breath's music to a hockey game: seemingly chaotic, but ultimately controlled and fluid.
Even though their sound fits the house-party, no-holds-barred vibe, Coffin Breath has found a home in Jackson at Hal & Mals and Sam's Lounge.
For information about upcoming Coffin Breath shows or to hear some of the band's songs, visit their Facebook page.
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