Michale Graves, who calls New Jersey home, established himself among horror rock’s most prominent figures by stepping in as lead singer for the Misfits when the legendary punk outfit regrouped in 1996. During his early teens he honed his skills fronting area punk outfits such as Bambi Slam, also known as Social Outcast, and Valmont, yet these efforts yielded scant recognition. While laying down tracks in 1995 with his own group the Mopes, the studio proprietor informed him that Jerry Only and O.C. Doyle—having just reclaimed the Misfits’ name—were seeking a vocalist for a revived lineup. Graves earned an audition and secured an invitation to join in time for the band’s 1996 reunion tour.
His first appearance on a Misfits recording came with the 1997 comeback album American Psycho, followed by a second contribution on Famous Monsters in 1999. He exited the group in autumn 2000, though he returned briefly for select dates during their 25th-anniversary trek the following year. During earlier downtime, Graves and Misfits drummer Dr. Chud had formed the short-lived side project the Lost Boys; the pair later launched the band Graves, which issued the album Web of Dharma before creative tensions between the two ended the venture.
Graves next assembled Gotham Road, which delivered the 2003 EP Season of the Witch, but the group dissolved once he enlisted in the Marine Corps. Just before deployment he recorded the solo album Punk Rock Is Dead for Horror High Records, released in 2005. A back injury brought an honorable discharge soon afterward, allowing him to mount a tour in support of the record. In 2006 he issued a follow-up solo effort, Return to Earth, and entered an unexpected partnership with Damien Echols, one of the three youths collectively known as the West Memphis Three who had been found guilty of murder in 1994 largely because of their fascination with horror fiction and heavy metal. Graves began setting Echols’ lyrics to music and developing an album slated for release in 2007; he has also performed on benefit tours aimed at funding Echols’ continued legal appeals. Outside his musical work, Graves maintains a vocal role as a conservative activist, having co-founded the website conservativepunk.com and delivering a notable interview about his political stance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
