Review: Grave Robber - Be Afraid

Label: Retroactive Records

Released: June 9, 2008

I've liked the Misfits (a lot) since I was about 15, even if the themes never quite sat well with me since I'm not a big horror fan and I have little tolerance for the celebration of evil. But the Misfits weren't that serious and the B-movie quality of their music always made it more fun than truly dark. Now Grave Robber provide an even healthier alternative though. They capture a lot of the Ed Wood low budget horror fun of the Misfits, but it's for those of us who don't want to bathe in the devil's rain.

Musically, Grave Robber largely stick to Danzig and company's formula of writing simple rock n roll that is both catchy and dark. Lyrically, their angle is best described as "horror for Jesus," the idea being that these horror themes will reach out to a subset of society abandoned by traditional Christianity. That's what really makes them unique. The music has been done before for the most part, but they're turning the focus of that music onto a new audience.

It's a great idea, but their black and white approach (Hey, I'm a pro-lifer too, but making women the scapegoat for abortion won't gain any ground with those on the fence and it lets guys off way too easy) may drive off those who are skeptical of Christians' ability to put that "judge not, lest ye be judged" thing into practice. Still, for the most part, Grave Robber really is reaching out, much like Christ did, to society's outcasts and that's commendable. On top of that, they make it fun. The masks might be a bit much, but how can you argue with a band that features the likes of Dr Cadaver, Wretched, Lamentor and Plague? That has to be a good time, right?

All in all, Be Afraid is a welcome addition. They're almost as fun as the Misfits and their hearts are in the right place to boot.

Ratings
Satriani: 6/10
Zappa: 6/10
Dylan: 6/10
Aretha: 7/10
Overall: 6/10

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