Does anyone notice a strikingly dark pattern here? Hmmm.

As the headline suggests, The Funeral Pyre’s John Stracham is the new vocalist for Early Graves (formerly Apiary), whose former vocalist Makh Daniels passed away last year in a tragic van accident. Strachan revealed his new gig in a guest blog at Gun Shy Assassin [via L.A. Weekly]. As far as we know this doesn’t mean Strachan is leaving The Funeral Pyre.

Early Graves and The Funeral Pyre were not only on tour together when Daniels died but were travelling in the same van; I can only imagine the kind of kinship and bond that’s resulted between these two bands given what happened. All kidding in the headline aside, I think it’s great that Stracham has stepped up to fill Daniels’ role; he’s got tough shoes to fill, for sure (just watch the above video of Makh with Early Graves in ’09), but Early Graves were on the up and up and it would’ve been a shame to see the band stop making music.

As of March, Early Graves were in the studio recording new music. Hopefully we’ll get to hear the fruits of those sessions, with Strachan’s vocals, by year’s end.

-VN