Grave Babies

Seattle, WA's Grave Babies describe their music as the sound of "horrible things wrapped in hope." Indeed, the band's debut full-length, Crusher, plays like the soundtrack to a disturbing passage through a haunted house, one that's somehow guided by a glimmer of light at the end of the dark, twisted hallway. This veil of hope stems from the audible fact that Grave Babies don't take their particular brand of "morbid pop" too seriously. Within the grisly horror of Crusher's sludgy guitars and heavy percussion lies an omnipresent aura of fun. And while remaining aesthetically consistent throughout Crusher, Grave Babies manage not to limit themselves stylistically. "Pain Cycle," for example, is backed by a trap beat that wouldn't sound out of place on a Skrillex record. The main drawback to Crusher is that, with 16 songs, it is a bit on the long side. There are four instrumental tracks that, with the remarkable titles of "I," "II," "III" and "IV," do little more than showcase Grave Babies' cursory knowledge of Roman numerology. However, not unlike the Romans of old, Crusher shows that Grave Babies know how to get down with some morbid music, all in the name of good, clean fun.