Grave Danger

Front man Kevin Daly’s wicked rockabilly guitar solos lend a rootsy polish to the latest full-length from Grave Danger, but don’t be fooled: This disc is proof that the Tempe trio has come into its own as a punk band. On most tracks, drummer David Kains speeds up the swagger into something you can bang your head to, and Rich Merriman’s rumbling bass adds a dark twist even to cheeky songs like “Here Kitty Kitty.” While Daly’s lyrics — delivered with a demented howl straight out of a Grave Danger live set — are mainly of the lecherous (“Suck Me Dry,” “Fix-It Man”) or homicidal variety (“Kill Kill Kill”), they’re damn funny in spite of being oh-so-wrong. Two instrumental songs, “Tiki” and “Tremble,” show the substance behind Grave Danger’s sinister style. And although the most unlikely song here, a cover of Shel Silverstein’s “You’re Always Welcome At Our House,” comes off like an Irish drinking tune, it’s still 100 percent Grave Danger: rowdy, dark and humorous. Sometimes murder can be fun.