Hump Day Hot Ticket: Grim Reaper “Walking in the Shadows”

Steve Grimmett's Grim Reaper

So today is not only Wednesday (meaning it's time for another Hump Day Hot Ticket), but today is also my birthday! Naturally, I would like to choose a very special band to commemorate my special day, so I am both pleased and honored to review this week the brand-new video from Grim Reaper, a band who has been going strong since the ’80s, and a band whose music I have enjoyed for a long time.

Some of you younger readers (“younger”, in this case, meaning anyone in their early ’30s or so) probably best know Grim Reaper (or have even heard of Grim Reaper at all) from being the punchline to many jokes on the early ’90s animated MTV show Beavis and Butt-Head, where the titular characters mercilessly teased the band for their ’80s fashion and seemingly outdated music videos. In spite of being self-proclaimed metalheads, clearly Beavis and Butt-Head were not savvy enough to recognize the band's talent; however, it is common knowledge that the show's creator, Mike Judge, is a huge Grim Reaper fan; thus, the reason they even got mentioned on the show in the first place.

When it comes to the recognition his band receives to this day from the show, Grim Reaper frontman Steve Grimmett has a great sense of humor about it; sharing clips from the classic show every now and then on his social media sites. No doubt he recognizes that those few minutes of parody was a far better promotional tool for the band than anything else, and people still continue to associate the show with the band. Anyone who cares to listen past the jokes and actually pay attention to the music can hear for themselves that Grim Reaper, despite proclamations to the contrary, does indeed kick ass. Steve's glass-shattering vocals is Grim Reaper's trademark; the one thing that instantly identifies the band to listeners, and over 30 years later, Steve's killer voice is still rocking us to Hell.

In fact, Grim Reaper is one of the many classic metal bands still making new music and still rocking as hard as ever. The band's new video for “Walking in the Shadows”—the title track of the band's latest album—is an anthemic, hard-rockin', feel-good song that makes you want to bang your head and turn the volume up as far as it can go. Vocally, Steve's still got the chops to rock your face off, and he does!

The video is pretty straightforward: the band jams in a dim, smoky room, along with some shots of Steve standing near a brick wall. There are also clips of a figure in a black, hooded cloak—perhaps an acolyte or warlock of some kind—perusing through a very old book, as glass potion bottles (one of them shaped like a skull) sit on a wooden table nearby, as he mixes up some sort of concoction. Of course, the band's namesake makes a brief appearance here too!

For more information on Grim Reaper, visit the band's official website. North American tour begins on October 6th in Las Vegas, NV. Walking in the Shadows now available in stores and online.

Special thanks to Steve Grimmett for allowing me to review this video. What an awesome birthday gift for me, to be able to feature a band I consider legendary, on my little blog!