The band shot two music videos. For several weeks The Misfits "American Psycho" video was listed on the Sonicnet chart at #2, bookended by Backstreet Boys videos at #1 & #3. Over all the "Psycho" video remained in the Top 5 for nearly a year while videos from many chart-topping acts quickly came and went. Matt Pinfield premiered "Dig up Her Bones" on MTV's 120 minutes. Both videos have been repeatedly on the top of the charts, listed as the "most downloaded videos on the net" with online outlets like Sonicnet.
The Misfits next release was a live album entitled, Evil Live II. It was a collection of live songs taken from shows on the relentless and very successful American Psycho tour, along with a limited edition glow-in-the-dark 45 covering the classic song "Monster Mash".
October 1999 marked a second studio album called Famous Monsters released by Roadrunner Records. Upon conclusion of the Famous Monsters world tour at The Mt. Fuji amphitheater in Japan with Marilyn Manson, Japan's premier rock-n-roll publication Burrn Magazine voted Michale Graves "Vocalist of the Year" and his song "Crying on Saturday Night" "Song of the Year". In that time, The Misfits also released their third video for the song "Scream" that was written by Michale. The video was directed by George Romero, the same man who directed "Night of The Living Dead". Michale and the band appeared in Romero's film "Bruiser" performing "Fiend Without a Face" which was also penned by Graves specifically for Romero's film. Famous Monsters went on to become the biggest selling title ever for Roadrunner Japan.
Michale continued to tour as usual aside of the off days that The Misfits spent appearing and wrestling on Ted Turners' WCWs' Monday Nitro, Thursday Thunder and a pair of pay-per-views. He also appeared in WCW Magazine including a centerfold and exclusive write-up about the band and their wrestling partner Vampiro.
Roadrunner Records followed up Famous Monsters with a wonderful package of previously unreleased studio demos and out takes from the bands beginning in 1996 until 2001 called Cuts from the Crypt.
Michale left The Misfits suddenly in 2001. He independently released a solo record entitled "Graves, Web of Dharma" supported by two American tours.
In April of 2003, Michale embarked on a new project called Gotham Rd. Gotham Rd. has played hundreds of dates on the U.S. club circuit performing and promoting a seven song EP that bears the same name as the band. In May of 2003 NJs' premier college radio station, 89.5fm WSOU, Seton Hall's Pirate Radio Station, charted the band at #30 after only several days of rotation. The bands single entitled, "Seasons of The Witch" shot to number 2 and held steady for weeks.
In January of 2005 Michale Graves inked a deal to record and release his first solo record, launching the brand new independent record label Horror High Records. A national tour followed as "Punk Rock is Dead" became an underground classic.
In January of 2006 Michale announced a 55 city spring tour to promote death row inmate, Damien Echols book called, "Almost Home". Graves' "Almost Home Campaign", sought to raise awareness, support and debate concerning the issues surrounding the West Memphis Three. 2006 also saw the release of Michale's sophomore solo album "Return to Earth", also on Horror High.
Upon completion of that tour Michale put together a short film entitled "The Blackness And The Forest" that told the story of his "Almost Home Campaign" and the work he continues to do for The West Memphis Three.
Partnering with SOS Records in 2007, Michale released "Illusions" featuring five songs with lyrics written by Damien Echols. A national acoustic tour soon followed to rave reviews. Also in 2007, Graves got together with Gotham Rd. for a set at HorrorFest in Dallas, TX, and Michale also had a booth at NJ's Chiller Theater. There he met up with Craig Singer, director of the first feature film that Michale appeared in with The Misfits called "Animal Room". They stayed in touch, and when a part came up in a film entitled Perkins 14 directed by Craig in 2008, he suggested Michale audition for a main role in the movie, which he received. Perkins 14 was filmed in Romania and is set to be released as part of HorrorFests "8 Films to Die For" coming out this fall. His original song from 2002's Web of Dharma release entitled "Blackbird" was re-recorded for the film, and is used in Michale's opening scene.
In Romania, Michale recorded demo versions of new songs written and inspired by his experience filming Perkins 14. Those demos, along with live tracks from the acoustic Illusions tour will be released in October 2008 on Screaming Crow Records, while Michale is on another national acoustic tour in support of Illusions as well as this new release entitled "Illusions Live/Viretta Park".
The House
Michale Graves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Haunted by the brain and soul
Captivate the causes
Blackness walking down the road
I've been there before
I'm sacreligious, she's a whore
Falling from the nest
Hell no, I won't go
I won't go into the house alone
I don't know, but I've been told
Someone lives inside of there a hundred years old
There's a memory inside me
It makes me feel so cold
Someone running in the distance
Ran his best and shot his soul
It's not a home of resistance
Ghosts of hunger lie and wait
Stand at the entrance
Are you coming or is it too late
Hell no, I won't go
I won't go into the house alone
I don't know, but I've been told
Someone lives inside of there a hundred years old
They'll take your soul when you get home
Killing your parents like you've been told
Hell no, I won't go
"The House" is a song by Michale Graves, formerly of the Misfits, that was released in 2001. The lyrics describe a haunted house in the distance that is haunted by the brain and soul, with causes that captivate and blackness walking down the road. The singer has been to the house before and describes himself as sacrilegious, while referring to a female as a whore. The female is described as falling from the nest with a rope around her neck. The singer refuses to go into the house alone and states that someone lives inside who is a hundred years old. The lyrics also talk about a memory that makes the singer feel cold and someone running in the distance who ran his best and shot his soul. The ghosts of hunger lie in wait inside the house, and the entrance is guarded by someone who asks if the singer is coming or if it's too late. The song ends with the singer stating that he won't go into the house and that they'll take his soul when he gets home, killing his parents as he's been told.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a house in the distance
In the distance, there is a house.
Haunted by the brain and soul
The house is haunted by the spirit and consciousness.
Captivate the causes
The reasons for the haunting are intriguing.
Blackness walking down the road
There is a sense of fear and death approaching.
I've been there before
The artist has visited the house previously.
I'm sacrilegious, she's a whore
The singer is unorthodox, and the house is corrupt.
Falling from the nest
The singer is losing his or her innocence.
She's got a rope around her neck
The house is suffocating and dangerous.
Hell no, I won't go
The artist refuses to enter the house.
I won't go into the house alone
The artist won't enter the house without company.
I don't know, but I've been told
The singer is unsure about the rumors of the house.
Someone lives inside of there a hundred years old
There is a belief that there is an old resident inside the house.
There's a memory inside me
There is a recollection that causes fear.
It makes me feel so cold
The memory instills a chilling sensation.
Someone running in the distance
The sound of someone running is heard.
Ran his best and shot his soul
The runner exerted maximum effort and exhausted his life force.
It's not a home of resistance
The house isn't a sanctuary of safety.
Ghosts of hunger lie and wait
The spirits of those who perished are restless, and hunger for vengeance.
Stand at the entrance
The spirits of the house are positioned at the entrance.
Are you coming or is it too late
The spirits are beckoning for the artist to enter, but it may be too late.
They'll take your soul when you get home
The spirits will take the artist's soul after he or she leaves the house.
Killing your parents like you've been told
The artist has been told the spirits will murder his or her parents.
Hell no, I won't go
The singer emphatically refuses to enter the house.
Contributed by Zoe S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.