45 Grave
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A death rock band from Los Angeles, California, 45 Grave emerged from the early 80's punk rock music scene. Along with contemporaries Christian Death and T.S.O.L., 45 Grave were one of the founders of the death rock genre, which was one of the strands that became the musical genre Goth. Unlike many goth rock bands, 45 Grave found an audience among southern California punk rockers, attracted to the band's aggressive, guitar-driven sound that often prefigured black metal in such songs as Wax and Evil. The fact that many of the band's members had been in many of the formative punk bands of the 1970s added to their original punk credibility. Don Bolles had previously drummed for The Germs and Nervous Gender. Paul Roessler had played keyboards in The Screamers and Nervous Gender, Rob Graves had been both guitarist and bassist for The Bags and Dinah Cancer had sung with Castration Squad, a legendary all women punk band created by Alice Bag.
Their career was launched in 1981 following the release of the "Black Cross" single, and the use of three tracks on the Hell Comes To Your House compilation.
Throughout their career, they only released one full length album, Sleep In Safety (1983). The members of the band went their separate ways in 1985. The posthumous album Autopsy was released in 1987 and consisted of the early singles and unreleased tracks. The year after, 45 Grave briefly reformed and began touring, releasing a live album, Only The Good Die Young (1989). In 1991, bassist and main songwriter Rob Graves died of an overdose, ending the band permanently.
Lead singer Dinah Cancer has recently formed a tribute band called Dinah Cancer and the Grave Robbers.
Members
- Dinah Cancer - vocals (later of Penis Flytrap and Dinah Cancer and the Grave Robbers)
- Paul Cutler - guitar
- Paul Roessler - keyboards
- Rob Graves - bass
- Don Bolles - drums
Discography
- "Black Cross/Wax" (7" single, 1981)
- "Phantoms" (12" EP, 1983)
- Sleep In Safety (LP, 1983)
- "Party Time/School's Out" (12" single, 1984)
- "What Is 45 Grave? A Tale Of A Strange Phenomena" (12" EP, 1984)
- Autopsy (LP, 1987)
- Only The Good Die Young (LP, 1989)
- Debasement Tapes (LP, 1993)
External link
- 45 Grave Fan Site (http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/4579/main.htm)