Posted By Reverend Leviathan on Apr 7, 2018 | 1 comment

Band/Artist: Grave Robber
Release House: Rottweiler Records
Genre: Horror Punk
One Sentence Synopsis: Back from the dead and delivering lively horror!
Series: Standalone
Single/EP/Album: Album
Release Date: 4-13-18
Running Time: 28 min
MSRP: $12.00
Discount Link: Click Here
Website: Click Here
Purchase Site: Click Here
Reviewed by: Reverend Leviathan
Final Score: 5.0 Moons (Out of 5.0)

Hard at work horrifying the masses since 2005, Grave Robber have been anything but idle.  Combining bouncy, catchy percussion with riffs and guitar solos as sharp as Dracula’s fangs, Grave Robber’s rugged and raunchy releases – Be Afraid, Inner Sanctum, Exhumed, You’re All Gonna Die and Straight to Hell – have garnered these horror rockers well deserved press from acclaimed punk and metal outlets alike for a good reason.  Seven years and fourteen drummers since their last LP, they’re finally back to haunt the masses with Escaping the Grave!

Theme

The wait is finally over!  Grave Robber is back with their horror-themed (to say the least) punk rock, and it’s coming hard on Escaping the Grave.  You know you’re in for a treat when the intro “Burial Ground” begins playing, sort of escalating the mood and preparing you for greatness, and then the undead rockers break free and hard from their graves.

There are a few tracks named after some famous horror flicks (“The Evil Dead, “Zombieland” and “The Conjuring” to name a few), but their relation to the movies is very slim.  If you’re unfamiliar with the band’s spiritual beliefs then you wouldn’t actually pick up on the allegories that Wretched uses.  Being a Christian myself even I have difficulty deciphering some of the songs.  “Lips of Blood” is about man’s struggle with lust and pornography, while “The Swarm” is about addiction.  Wretched always uses horror imagery to talk about his personal faith, but it’s written in such a way that it doesn’t come off as “preachy,” and is very enjoyable even to unbelievers.

Presentation

You know, there always seems to be that one album from a band you love that disappoints; this is NOT that album!  In fact, there has yet to be a disappointing release for me.  Grave Robber really brought their best with this one.  And talk about raw!  Fans of raw, unpolished, oldschool punk rock will definitely want to check this out.  Compared to previous albums this is definitely the most raw-sounding one to date.  The Misfits influence really comes out.  Even with the raw sound, the mixing and mastering is really good.  Also, Wretched’s vocals sound better than ever!  The album will have you crooning and chanting within minutes.

I was extremely impressed with the band’s cover of “Jet Black Tears,” originally performed by deathrock band Leper.  That song is possibly my all-time favorite Leper song, now done over by my favorite horror punk group!  They did an awesome job of keeping the spirit of the original while at the same time making it their own.  The drums on this song really stood out to me.

Gothic Fit

The horror themes (demons, zombies, etc.) and references to horror flicks are definitely appealing to the Gothic listener.  “The Night Evelyn Came Out From the Grave” has some influences that would be appreciated.  For those of us in the Goth community that share similar spiritual beliefs, Escaping the Grave offers a very creative way to hear about our faith.  Using horror imagery is much more impressive than just hearing a sermon from a Bible thumper.

Closing Thoughts

It’s because of albums like Escaping the Grave that horror punk is still alive, or should I say undead?  You should not sleep on this album, as it is one of Grave Robber’s best!

     Theme: 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
     Presentation: 4.5 Moons (out of 5.0)
     Gothic Fit: 4.0 Moons (out of 5.0)
     Final Score (not an average): 5.0 Moons (out of 5.0)