is far more than just another Metal Band! Their record "...and the Dead Shall Rise" is pure Horror Metal Magic!! It came out on Iron Works in three different versions, all are very hard to find today and not cheap, real collectors gems. And for a good reason! If you ever have heard RIPPERs LP you will be caught by their evil spell and be part of their legion. For a more detailed few read the record review. Just let us say: If you ever see this record offered, take your chance!! You surely will not regret it...
And now we have the pleasure to hand over to ROB GRAVES, guitar-player, singer, songwriter, producer... And he has something to tell!:

1) Which year you got infected with the METAL-virus and what was the release?
ROB GRAVES: The year was 1969/70...The album was "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath...To me...the 1st true metal release...

2) With what age did you start singing/playing an instrument and what was the reason to do so? ROB: I started playing guitar in 1967...I received an acoustic for Christmas...I also made a record in my uncle's recording studio shortly thereafter...It sucked but I was hooked...I got my first electric on my birthday in 1968...A Bruno(Conquerer) strat copy and a Kalamazoo tube amp...After that, you couldnt tell me anything... 3) What are your five alltime-favorite records? ROB: #1 Bridge Of Sighs/Robin Trower(1974) #2 British Steel /Judas Priest(1980) #3 Balls To The Wall/Accept(1984) #4 Hotter Than Hell/Kiss(1974) #5 Among The Living/Anthrax(1985)

RIPPER - ...AND THE DEAD SHALL RISE LP

4) Tell us the three last records/CDs you bought, that really thrilled you!
ROB: The last 3 albums that actually "thrilled" me were purchased some time ago...I love "live" albums and thats what they all were...
#1 Made In Japan/Deep Purple(1973)
#2 Alive/Kiss(1975)
#3 Unleashed In The East/Judas Priest(1979)

5) Please give us a discography of all bands you played with and all releases and about how many copies each title were sold!
FINN: I had no actual releases until Ripper...
#1 4Song EP entitled Ripper(1985)
#2 ..."And The Dead Shall Rise"(1986) (black vinyl, picture LP and gold vinyl)
#3 Metal Massacre 8 by Metal Blade(1986)
I dont know how many of these were ever sold because I never received a penny from Iron Works or Metal Blade...But it aint over till its over...Know what I mean...

Rob Graves - Undertaker Guitar/Vocals

6) Looking back: Which of your releases do you like the most and why? ROB: ..."And The Dead Shall Rise" is my favorite because it includes Sinister Minister, which was a blast to record and to do live...In my opinion it contains my best singing, screaming and guitar playing... 7) And which the least/why? ROB: My least favorite would have to be the one I did in my uncles studio in 68(laughs)...It will snow in Hell before anyone ever hears that one(laughs again)... 8) Did your band (any of your bans) record songs that have never been released? Please give us the song-titles and a short description! ROB: No...Everything besides Uncle68 was released (laughs)...

Sadie Paine - Vampyr Bass/Vocals

9) What was the highlight of your carreer?
ROB: We were rehearsing in a well known downtown LA rehearsal studio...When you first walked in you couldnt even hear yourself think...There were probably 100 bands rehearsing there at any given time and the noise was thunderous...On our first night there, we finished our rehearsal, about 2 hours worth(we always rehearsed our live show just as though we were playing live) and when we were finished, there was complete silence, and then some applause...We opened the door and there were all kinds of musicians standing there greeting us and introducing themselves, some of which have gone on to become quite well known...That was my highpoint...My lowpoint was the night we met Gene Simmons of Kiss, handed him a copy of our 4song EP...We just wanted him to have it...We were looking for nothing...Later on he proceded to tell me that our music was "stupid and corny" and that no one would ever take us seriously and that we should be like Motley Crue and sing songs about "love"...

10) Tell us a funny story around your band from the past!
ROB: We were always the headliner...No one would ever let us open for them...We had too much smoke, bombs, fire, blood and Marshalls...Among those who said "no" were Twisted Sister, Dokken and Ted Nugent...They liked the music but not the image...Oh well...Anyway, the bands that opened for us were always crucified by the fans...The lead singer for one of the bands was saying goodnight and getting ready to introduce us and a fan at the front tied his shoe laces together and he fell flat on his face in front of a packed house...But he was a good sport about the whole thing as he came "shuffling" into the wings where we were waiting to take stage and said, "sorry I'm late, I got tied up, its all yours guys"...He never even took off the shoes(laughs)...

11) Are you a metal-collector? ROB: Not like I used to be...I havent done any serious collecting since the 80's... If yes: 11.1) How big is your collection (LPs, CDs, Demos)? ROB: My collection is small...Just stuff thats "primo" to me... 11.2) What are your ten most valuable records from a collectors view? ROB: #1 Twice Removed From Yesterday/Robin Trower(73) #2 Bridge Of Sighs/Robin Trower(1974) #3 For Earth Below/Robin Trower(1975) #4 Live/Robin Trower(1976) #5 Long Misty Days/Robin Trower(1976) #6 Victims Of The Fury/Robin Trower(1980) #7 Montrose/Ronnie Montrose(1973) #8 Rocka-Rolla/Judas Priest(1976) #9 Sad Wings Of Destiny/Judas Priest (1976) #10 Stained Class/Judas Priest(1978)

Here's a cool picture of ROB GRAVES in 1967...

...and 20 years later in 1987 !!

11.3) Vinyl or CD: what do you prefer and why?
ROB: I prefer CD's because they sound better and last longer...But I will say that I liked all the good stuff you used to get in an LP, posters, special inserts etc...

s/Vocals

12) What indescribable great question have you never been asked yet? And what would your answer have been? ROB: The question would be...What happened to Ripper...The answer would be...We had everything going our way...We had taken over Houston, moved to LA and we getting close to signing a deal with Metal Blade...Theres no doubt in my mind that we would haven taken LA over as well...We were just too determined and powerful to be ignored...I wont say who did what, but I will say that one of the band members decided they would rather be a full-time student, another one got heavily involved with a bad crowd of drug abusers and became a junkie, wouldnt show up for days at a time, sometimes weeks, and the other one was practicing witchcraft and so weird that no one could figure them out... I can say that this last member was always trying to divide the members of the band, one against the other...I carried the band on my back for 10 years and that was enough... Some people, Roman, are afraid of success...I am not one of those people...As long as I have breath in my body I will keep trying...

Death - The Grim Reaper Guitar/Vocals

13) What is the current status of the band and what is planned next?
ROB: Ripper is done, over, finished, disbanded and no more... But Rob Graves is not...What you heard was me...I wrote it, carried it, oversaw it all and produced it...The material I am about to release will be some of the most powerful metal ever heard...These songs would have gone on Rippers 2nd, 3rd and 4th albums...But sometimes my friend, when you want something done right, you have to do it yourself... Last Words: In 1990, I sold all of my gear and hung it up... For seven years, all I did was dream about what could have been...Then in 1998 I said "wait a minute...Not what could have been, but WHAT WILL BE"...Whether anyone cares or not...Rob Graves is back...Better to be a "has been" than a "never was"...10/26/02

Any last words?:
ROB: In 1990, I sold all of my gear and hung it up... For seven years, all I did was dream about what could have been...Then in 1998 I said "wait a minute...Not what could have been, but WHAT WILL BE"...Whether anyone cares or not...Rob Graves is back...Better to be a "has been" than a "never was"...10/26/02

Yeah Rob!! The time for releasing those unheard tracks is just right!! Give us the Real Steel and show all those todays "Heroes" what METAL is all about!!!

WHEN THE FOG ROLLS IN AND YOU HEAR THE WOLVES CRIES - THE GRAVES WILL OPEN...
AND THE DEAD SHALL RISE !!!

BANDCONTACT:
Rob Graves Email: mikenpartz@hotmail.com