Post by TheCMRecluse on Aug 25, 2024 6:25:52 GMT
Shawn Browning
Associated Acts: Grave Robber (2005-present)
Vocal Range: E♭2-E♭5 (3 octaves)
Vocal Type: Reanimated Dry-Boned Baritone With A Tell-Tale Heart
{Vocal Summary}
In some parts of Christianity, horror is frowned upon especially if it deals with monsters like zombies, werewolves, vampires and especially demons. The reason being that we should be a light in the darkness therefore we shouldn’t be embracing stuff that has to do with dark themes like murder or terrorizing. Well one man decided to take these elements and make them into something to spread the Gospel with. Enter, Indiana resident, Shawn Browning or as he is called in the horror themed Christian punk band, Grave Robber as “Wretched”. Some would consider what his band is doing as a mockery and not good satire dressing as a zombie and using that for worship or evangelism but in a way it kind of works. Wretched’s voice has been described as appropriate for the type of music. He is a baritone who borrows a lot from the likes of Ozzy Osborne and Glenn Danzig as his voice can change textures from sounding gruff, scratchy, frantic and even operatic. His unique delivery is very esoteric as “Wretched” as it feels like listening to a character of a Christian zombie singing in both opera and with a creepy voice, using metaphors from horror cinema and literature with Christian themes of struggling with sin, redemption, worship, avoiding going to Hell, and preparing for the End Times. His highs are mostly mid range as he usually melodically “yells” his highs every so often although with recent works he did manage to get more stronger control of his voice. His lower register is also a bit bizarre as he doesn’t seem to go lower than the third octave with only a few times in the second, although he tends to creak his lower notes with creepy spoken word passages as the “Wretched” character. Wretched is indeed one of the most bizarre figures in Christian punk embracing horror elements and subverting them with Christian messages but nevertheless he is still one of the most unique in the genre and with him still leading his record label, Rottweiler Records, it seems like he has more to offer us in the future. Stay scary for The Reanimator.
In some parts of Christianity, horror is frowned upon especially if it deals with monsters like zombies, werewolves, vampires and especially demons. The reason being that we should be a light in the darkness therefore we shouldn’t be embracing stuff that has to do with dark themes like murder or terrorizing. Well one man decided to take these elements and make them into something to spread the Gospel with. Enter, Indiana resident, Shawn Browning or as he is called in the horror themed Christian punk band, Grave Robber as “Wretched”. Some would consider what his band is doing as a mockery and not good satire dressing as a zombie and using that for worship or evangelism but in a way it kind of works. Wretched’s voice has been described as appropriate for the type of music. He is a baritone who borrows a lot from the likes of Ozzy Osborne and Glenn Danzig as his voice can change textures from sounding gruff, scratchy, frantic and even operatic. His unique delivery is very esoteric as “Wretched” as it feels like listening to a character of a Christian zombie singing in both opera and with a creepy voice, using metaphors from horror cinema and literature with Christian themes of struggling with sin, redemption, worship, avoiding going to Hell, and preparing for the End Times. His highs are mostly mid range as he usually melodically “yells” his highs every so often although with recent works he did manage to get more stronger control of his voice. His lower register is also a bit bizarre as he doesn’t seem to go lower than the third octave with only a few times in the second, although he tends to creak his lower notes with creepy spoken word passages as the “Wretched” character. Wretched is indeed one of the most bizarre figures in Christian punk embracing horror elements and subverting them with Christian messages but nevertheless he is still one of the most unique in the genre and with him still leading his record label, Rottweiler Records, it seems like he has more to offer us in the future. Stay scary for The Reanimator.
{Discography Checked}
Grave Robber
Genre: Horror punk/hardcore punk/hard rock
Studio albums
Straight To Hell EP (2015) F♯3-B♭4
Xmas Is The Worst EP (2022) A2-D3-E3-A4
Studio albums
Be Afraid (2008) G♯2-D3-B♭4-C♯5
Inner Sanctum (2009) Eb2-F♯2-A4-B4-E♭5
Exhumed (2010) B2-E3-B♭4
You're All Gonna Die! (2011) G♯2-E3-B♭4
Escaping The Grave! (2018) E3-A4
Scary Christmas To You (2019) A2-C♯3-B4
The Cellar Sessions (2024) G♯2-C5-E♭5
Grave Robber
Genre: Horror punk/hardcore punk/hard rock
Studio albums
Straight To Hell EP (2015) F♯3-B♭4
Xmas Is The Worst EP (2022) A2-D3-E3-A4
Studio albums
Be Afraid (2008) G♯2-D3-B♭4-C♯5
Inner Sanctum (2009) Eb2-F♯2-A4-B4-E♭5
Exhumed (2010) B2-E3-B♭4
You're All Gonna Die! (2011) G♯2-E3-B♭4
Escaping The Grave! (2018) E3-A4
Scary Christmas To You (2019) A2-C♯3-B4
The Cellar Sessions (2024) G♯2-C5-E♭5
Significant High Notes:
E♭5 ("Children Of The Grave" [Black Sabbath cover], "Tell Tale Heart")
C♯5 ("Skeletons", "Valentine's Day")
C5 ("Burn Witch, Burn", "Screams Of The Voiceless", "Time After Time" [Cyndi Lauper cover], "Sliver" [Nirvana cover])
B4 ("Children Of The Grave" [Black Sabbath cover], "Hybrid Moments" [Misfits cover], "Joy To The World", "The Rose" [Amanda McBroom cover], "Tell Tale Heart")
B♭4 ("Cabin Fever", "Curse Of The Werewolf", "Last Man On Earth", "Reanimator", "Spirit In The Sky" [Norman Greenbaum cover], "Straight To Hell", "Valley Of Dry Bones", "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", "You're All Gonna Die", "You Don’t Mess Around With Jim" [Jim Croce cover])
A4 ("All I Want for Xmas Is You", "Beast Of Busco", "Bloodbath", "Brand New Day", "Buried Alive", "Dark Angel", "Escape" [Metallica cover], "Escaping The Grave", "Fear No Evil", "Fill This Place With Blood", "Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas", "Hunger Haunts", "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do" [The Ramones cover], "I Spit On Your Grave", "I Wanna Kill You Over And Over Again", "I Want A Hippopotamus For Xmas", "I, Zombie", "Incredible Shrinking Woman", "Invisible Man", "Into The Pit", "Jet Black Tears", "Last Man On Earth", "Last Xmas" [George Michael cover], "Let Go, Hold On", "Lion Of Judah", "Lips Of Blood", "Mummator", "Nightbreed", "Paranormal Activity", "Scary Christmas To You", "Schizofiend", "Screams Of The Voiceless", "Shadows", "Sliver" [Nirvana cover], "Skeletons", "Something Wicked This Way Comes", "Spirit In The Sky" [Norman Greenbaum cover], "The Beast Within", "The Conjuring", "The Evil Dead", "The Night Has Eyes", "The Swarm", "We're A Couple Of Misfits", "Wonderful Christmastime" [Paul McCartney cover], "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch")
G♯4 ("Altered States", "Army Of The Dead", "Burn Witch, Burn", "Cabin Fever", "Children Of The Grave" [Black Sabbath cover], "Dark Angel", "Detonation A.D.", "Fill This Place With Blood", "Grandma Got Half Eaten By A Zombie" [Parody of Elmo Shropshire’s song], "Haunted House", "Hybrid Moments", "I'm Possessed", "Jet Black Tears", "Joy To The World", "Phasers On Kill", "Reanimator", "Space Oddity" [David Bowie cover], "The Conjuring", "They Hate You", "You Don’t Mess Around With Jim" [Jim Croce cover])
G4 ("All I Want for Xmas Is You" [Mariah Carey cover], "Angels We Have Heard On High", "Burn Witch, Burn", "Burning Bridges", "Earth A.D." [Misfits cover], "Fear No Evil", "Fill This Place With Blood", "I Just Wanna Have Something To Do" [The Ramones cover], "I Spit On Your Grave", "Last Xmas" [George Michael cover], "Men In Black", "Rigor Mortis", "Scary Christmas To You", "Shadows", "Skeletons", "The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave", "Valley Of Dry Bones", "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", "Zombieland")
Significant Low Notes:
E3 ("Angels We Have Heard On High", "Army Of The Dead", "Curse Of The Werewolf", "Fill This Place With Blood", "Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas", "Joy To The World", "Last Xmas", [George Michael cover], "Let Go, Hold On", "Phasers On Kill", "Screams Of The Voiceless", "Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda", "Skeletons", "Space Oddity" [David Bowie cover], "The Evil Dead", "The Melodious Fray", "The Rose" [Amanda McBroom cover], "Valentine's Day")
E♭3 ("Grandma Got Half Eaten By A Zombie" [Parody of Elmo Shropshire’s song], "I Want A Hippopotamus For Xmas")
D3 ("All I Want for Xmas Is You" [Mariah Carey cover], "I Spit On Your Grave", "I Wanna Kill You Over And Over Again", "Let Go, Hold On", "Little Drummer Boy", "Sliver" [Nirvana cover], "The Song", "The Waltz")
C♯3 ("Cabin Fever", "Have Yourself A Scary Little Christmas")
C3 ("I Spit On Your Grave", "Rigor Mortis", "Time After Time" [Cyndi Lauper cover])
B2 ("Altered States" (Exhumed version), "Children Of The Grave" [Black Sabbath cover], "Escape" [Metallica cover])
B♭2 ("You're All Gonna Die")
A2 ("All I Want For Xmas Is You" [Mariah Carey cover], "I Wanna Kill You Over And Over Again", "Wonderful Christmastime" [Paul McCartney cover], "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch")
G♯2 ("Buried Alive", "Children Of The Grave" [Black Sabbath cover], "Paranormal Activity")
F♯2 ("Tell Tale Heart")
F2 ("Detonation A.D.")
E2 ("Altered States")
E♭2 ("Tell Tale Heart")
.......................................................
Blue marks falsetto or whistle notes.
Green marks harsh, distorted notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.
