Band/Artist: Grave Robber
Release House: Rottweiler Records
Genre: Horror Punk
One Sentence Synopsis: The zombies of horror punk continue their legacy
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: EP
Release Date: January 21, 2015
Running Time: 11 min
MSRP: $6.99 CD, $5.99 Vinyl
Discount Link: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Music Video: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 4 Moons (out of 5)
Grave Robber has been horrifying the masses since they debuted on the scene in 2005. Their first album Be Afraid got quite a bit of attention as did their subsequent releases (Inner Sanctum, Exhumed, You’re All Gonna Die). Combining their horror punk and metal roots they’ve built quite a diverse fan base, and to keep us satisfied they’ve given us a taste of things to come with their new EP Straight to Hell.
Theme
No better way than to start this new release off than with the title song–a screaming horror punk chant that is similar to that found in songs by The Misfits (one of their musical influences). Wretched (vocalist) delivers his singing shrieks in a way that keeps the fans coming. Hunger Haunts truly has a scary presence as the song does an amazing job of using horror images to emphasize that the threat of hunger and starvation are much scarier than monsters. Beast of Busco continues the theme and is built around a local legend of a giant snapping turtle. The song uses the legendary creature as a symbol: One will believe in a legendary creature without ever finding it, but refuses to believe the stories surrounding Jesus of Nazareth despite historical evidence.
Presentation
It’s really hard to find true horror punk these days, but Grave Robber pulls it off. The album has very good punk chants that are difficult not to sing along with, while the horror sounding moans throughout the songs bring a strong presence and emotion throughout. Wretched is perfecting his punk rock Elvis Presley vocals, which, aside from amazing guitar riffs, is one of the greatest aspects of the band. His lyrics continue to deliver messages of his own faith lingering in horror imagery, and it’s done in a very creative way that truly makes you pay attention to the songs to understand the deeper meaning of the lyrics. The CD also introduces its listeners to some new comics lore with “Mummator and the Conquerors of the Cosmos,” as the band was asked to write a theme song for the title comic book character of the Indie series.
Gothic Fit
Negative emotions and darker aspects are something we all deal with in the Goth community. The song “Straight to Hell” goes through a list of negative vibes that do damage to one’s soul, but then takes control of those things by claiming power over them and casting them back into hell where they belong. Images of haunted houses, werewolves, vampires and ghosts abound in the songs, which reminded me of the Universal Monsters. And for the comic book lovers, as I mentioned before, there is “Mummator.” (Think of an up-to-date rerun of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.)
Closing Thoughts
Grave Robber’s Straight to Hell is a great example of the band’s continued development. They have had my undivided attention since 2011 and I cannot wait to see what else the band has in store for the horror punk community. Eat your heart out, Glenn!
Theme: 3.0 Moons (out of 5)
Presentation: 5.0 Moons (out of 5)
Gothic Fit: 3.0 Moons (out of 5)
Final Score (not an average): 4.0 Moons (out of 5)
