Grave Robber: “Black Roses” EP Review

Grave Robber is a decidedly unconventional band, not something that you’re going to see at a traditional Christian music festival or on Christian radio. They refer to themselves as horror punk. They take the themes and concepts of popular horror movies and allow their faith to mingle with those film concepts to create a majority of their lyrics. When you pull up their band photos, you’ll see their genre in full display. They conceal their identity behind masks and alternate identities, calling themselves Wretched, Viral, Carcass and Plague. The band says they wear masks because people often put on masks to avoid getting to the root cause of their misery or that they put on the mask that everything is alright and happy. This visual identity might make you question if they’re a Christian band, but take some time and listen to their stuff and listen to their story.

Black Roses EP Review

Tracks: 4

Length: 14:00

Release Date: April 24, 2026

Label: Independent

Black Roses is their latest EP release. This short four-song EP pulls in inspirations from horror films such as The Babadook and 28 Days Later. But it is through these inspirations that they can tie their faith in, without most people realizing it. It kicks off with the first song “28 Days Later.” They lean hard into the theatrical element with a spooky intro, before diving right into a traditional punk rock sound. The guitars and drums play a fun rhythm that will get every person dancing. The chorus is fun and engaging, but perhaps they relied too much on the chorus. 

“Abomination meets revelation. We watch the prophecy unfold. Liberation from damnation. Listen for the trumpets and obey as we are told.”

28 Days Later, the inspiration behind the song, is a zombie end-of-the-world movie. In the song, the zombie disease is sin, connecting to the end times theology found in Revelation. Every day, we experience the takeover of sin, which will eventually lead to the return of Christ and the final judgement.

We switch gears from zombies to witches in “Salem’s Lot.” Imagine listening to a combination of 80s rock and punk rock, which supplies a groovy tone to dance along to. You might not be familiar with their work, but if you listen to it you’ll find yourself tapping your toes in no time. The rhythm is entertaining, with lots of chugging guitars, still keeping to a traditional punk rock sound. There’s lots of variation in the vocals, and the guitar work in the chorus infuses some extra flavor.. 

If you’re not ready to get off the dance floor, they’ve got another song to keep you moving, “The Babadook.” The chorus is catchy and campy; before you realize it, you’ll be singing along!  While still in their signature theatrical horror/punk genre, it’s a family-friendly song you can add to your Halloween trick-or-treat playlist. Despite the fun and energetic atmosphere, there is a serious tone to the song.

“It thrives where mercy turns to ash. Where hope recoils and torches crash. Each whispered prayer I cannot speak. It feeds the horror, preys on the weak.”

This song speaks of a fear that our faith will fail when pressed. There are going to be times when we struggle with putting our faith over our fear, but God is just a prayer away.

“The Fog” incorporates several Halloween sound effects, such as ghostly moans in the background and the sound of the old ghost decoration from the 90s. The guitars played a catchy rhythm that continues the dance party. The drums really drive the tempo and you can hear the bass line take its turn as a focus. The vocals sound clean and well spoken with years of experience.

Black Roses EP is just a taste of Grave Robber. While I realize that this isn’t for everybody, there is something about this Midwest four-piece and their ability to incorporate horror with faith elements in an appropriate manner. The entertaining rhythms in the guitars and vocals will have you foot tapping and dancing from beginning to end. Honestly, when you dive into their heart for others, you realize that God can use a variety of ways to draw people to Himself. Grave Robber is one of those ways. They wrestle with various topics like grief, doubt, fear especially when it encounters their faith. This was a great, unique EP from Grave Robber and they have an intense and variation of albums in their catalog to listen through. Take about 20 minutes and give Black Roses a chance. I think if you come into it with an open mind, you might end up liking it.