U.S. Grave (feat. Members of Take Over and Destroy) Summon Fresh Life From Goth Rock’s Tomb

If you read my work on this blog, you’ll notice a number of posts about my love for two things: Arizona creep metal crew Take Over and Destroy, and his highborn nocturnal resplendence Count Dracula. So when Alexander Bank Rollins, guitarist for TOAD, contacted me saying he and vocalist Andrew Leemont have put together a new band that’s more straightforward dark goth rock, you know I was all about it.

The band is called U.S. Grave, and sounds about as dark, deep, and enjoyably bleak as the Arizona desert. The obvious influences here are Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, and Beastmilk, but there’s definitely also a touch of Nick Cave and Goblin in there. After streaming a track via Decibel earlier this week, they’ve released their new EP Voice of an Idiot Ghost today.

The term ‘goth’ might be limiting, but it definitely describes what’s going on with U.S. Grave. This stuff is dark and creepy, but also fun and jangly; if you’re here for Hatebreed and Deicide, this might not be your band. But what I’m loving about U.S. Grave is that it feels distinctly American. Often with goth, I notice this need to pay homage to Mary Shelley and the Paris catacombs with a lot of harpsichord and absinthe. But this feels like, how do I put it, highway goth, more about smoking cigarettes on a pitch-black road rather than slinking down cobblestone streets. Think Near Dark, not Nosferatu.

Listen to Voice of an Idiot Ghost below, and toss U.S. Grave a few bones via their Bandcamp.