COFFIN HUNTERS – Cosmic Dawn (2026) *HQ*

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The draw between fantasy, sci-fi, and heavy metal has been a long-standing tradition since the dawn of the genre. Acts like Uriah Heep, Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, and a host of others made the amalgamation adventurous and exciting for all willing to take in this word / music meld.
Californian four-piece COFFIN HUNTERS take decades of influences around those inter-dimensional space/time journey aspects to heart for this third album ‘Cosmic Dawn‘. Rooted firmly in the 70s and 80s, COFFIN HUNTERS leans heavily on classic heavy guitar work, swirling keyboard / organ runs, and soaring vocals to create a sound that is more fun than a box of puppies.
Forming in 2017, the group has remained steadfast in their independent release philosophy – allowing the musicians to strategically execute these eight songs through a solid lens, harkening back to the roots of classic metal with psychedelic, progressive, and thoughtful songwriting.
The first two tracks give a great glimpse into this side of the band. ‘Isle of the Dead’ and ‘Skeleton Key’ feature singer Sean Rivera showing off his Geoff Tate-like falsetto overtop of a bouncing rhythm anchored by the guitar / Bass tandem.
‘Give Up the Ghost’ has a Maiden-esque feel that is perfectly accented by the addition of the keys which gives the song a progressive feel. ‘Red Horizon’ and ‘Blood Moon’ see the band leave their comfort zone to an extent as they feature blast beats and speed metal riffing, respectively.

The extra level of Hammond organ heroics that open “Isle of the Dead” worth this album alone – recall the early to mid-70’s action one would hear from Boston, Deep Purple, and Uriah Heep before the song settles into a jumpy mid-tempo anthem, an ideal number to make people rise because of its time-travel atmosphere spirit and entertaining progressive transitions.
Eric “Swede” Harriman as a guitarist can be equally reflective and emotive in sequences where necessary, then unfurl tremendous electric chord combinations to uplift spirits into the Coffin Hunters ethos – check out the NWOBHM-type passages in the title cut as a testament to his prowess, the instrumental sequences branching off seamlessly into 70s progressive rock, proto-metal glory.

The record closes on another twisted note for ‘Nightmare Mass’ – intertwining some speedy musical action with opposite doom parts, Sean’s voice floating above and into the aural clouds with magical festiveness.
Recorded at Earhammer Studios with Greg Wilkinson, Coffin Hunters through ”Cosmic Dawn” prove again that the timeless quality of old school-style heavy metal still has appeal if put in the right context.
Highly Recommended

01 – Isle of the Dead
02 – Skeleton Key
03 – Last Nail in the Coffin
04 – Cosmic Dawn
05 – Give up the Ghost
06 – Red Horizon
07 – Blood Moon
08 – Nightmare Mass

Vocals, keyboards – Sean Rivera
Guitar – Eric “Swede” Harriman
Bass – Brian Crites
Brennan Kunkel – drums

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