| Grief | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Boston, Massachusetts, USA | |
| Genres | Doom Metal, Sludge Metal | |
| Years active | 1991 - 2000, 2005 - 2006, 2008 - 2009, 2015 - Present (As Come To Grief) | |
| Labels | Common Cause, Century Media, Southern Lord Records, Theologian, Pessimiser, Fuck Yoga | |
| Associated acts | Warhorse, Churchburn, Noosebomb, Anal Cunt, Negative Reaction, Morgion | |
| Website | Come To Grief | |
| Band Logo | ||
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Grief were a sludge/doom band from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Initially active in 1991 the band was best known for a punishing wall of sludgy sound, lyrics based in insanity/misanthropy and bassist Eric Harrison's art style giving the band a distinctive visual identity to compliment their nightmarish sound. Throughout their initial career the band released five studio albums and a host of other releases.
The band re-formed and dissolved multiple times and has now formed as Come To Grief, an entirely different group started by founding member Terry Savastano that plays original songs and older Grief tunes.
History
Initial Formation and Demise (1991 - 2001)
Grief was founded in 1991 by Disrupt guitarist Terry Savastano and Unleashed Anger drummer Pete Donovan. Randy Odierno (who later switched to bass and later again left to join Bane of Existence) and Jeff Hayward joined shortly thereafter with a host of lineup changes throughout the band's career. The band would release a string of EPs such as Depression before releasing their debut album Dismal in 1993. The band would sign to Century Media and release their second album (Or debut according to the band) Come To Grief the next year. A string of split releases would appear in 1995 amid a tour with Extreme Noise Terror. Grief would sign to Theologian for their third album Miserably Ever After in 1996 before returning to Pessimiser for the remainder of their initial run, mainly Torso in 1998.
The band would release their fifth (and final) album ...And Man Will Become The Hunted in 2000 on Pessimiser. The band would tour the west coast with their final show being at Mission Records in San Fransisco. Grief would disband in 2000, citing drummer problems and what they referred to as a "hostile environment for doom metal bands". [1]
Reunion and Second Dissolution (2005 - 2009)
Grief would reunite for what was intended as a one-off appearance at Doom and Grind Fest in Cambridge on 17 July 2005. The reception to the returning band was very good and led to Grief reforming although founding member Terry Savastano would leave due to personal issues with the band continuing on as a four-piece. [2] The band would follow up with a string of shows including an appearance at Emissions from the Monolith in May 2006. A live album from Southern Lord titled Alive was released the same year.
The band would tour again in 2008, mainly throughout the United States and Europe.
On 1 March 2009, Grief would disband for a second time with the following statement:
| “ | “"Our reasons for disbanding are our reasons. We have chosen not to get into it but it may or may not include the following reasons.
We will not be playing the Maryland Deathfest in May of 2009. We're sorry for anyone that this disappoints, but whatever. Shit happens."” |
” |
— Eric Harrison, Blabbermouth [3]
|
Come To Grief (2015 - Present)
In 2012, Savastano expressed interest in either re-forming Grief or possibly a new project but none of the previous members he would approach had interest in the project. Upon meeting former Morgion and Keen of the Crow bassist Justin Christian in 2014, the two discussed Terry’s idea of the Come to Grief concept, named after the band’s classic full-length. It would be neither a reunion nor a revue of the Grief catalog. Instead Come to Grief would focus on early Grief songs written by or with Terry.
Terry and Justin started a search for a vocalist and a drummer. Jonathan Hebert was brought on board in early 2015 as a vocalist and guitarist. while Chuck Conlon, a former Grief drummer, completed the band. With an ever-expanding set of early Grief songs, the band also began writing and rehearsing new music to complement the Grief material.
Come To Grief's first appearance was at Oakland's Deadfest in 2015, with their set focused on material from Dismal, the first 7" and Come To Grief.[4] The band followed with a tour of the United States in 2016 and began work on new material.
Going into 2017, Come To Grief have their debut album entitled The Worst of Times on Fuck Yoga Records to be released in the Spring along with a tour of Europe, including an appearance at Roadburn Festival.
Discography
Studio Albums
- Dismal (1993, Common Cause)
- Come To Grief (1994, Century Media)
- Miserably Ever After (1996, Theologian)
- Torso (1998, Pessimiser)
- ...and Man Will Become the Hunted (2000, Pessimiser)
- The Worst of Times (As Come to Grief) (2017, Fuck Yoga)
Misc. Releases
- Depression (EP) (1992, Grievance Records)
- Dismal (EP) (1992, Grievance Records)
- Grief / Dystopia (Split with Dystopia) (1993, Life Is Abuse)
- Grief / 13 (Split with 13 (Band)) (1993, Grievance Records)
- Trigger Happy / Pessimiser (Split with 16) (1994, Pessimiser)
- Green Vegetable Matter / Soilent Green (Split with Soilent Green) (1995, Pessimiser)
- No Choice / Terrorism of Thought... Terrorism of Sound. (Split with Suppression) (1995, Bovine)
- Corrupted / Grief (Split with Corrupted) (1995, HG Fact)
- Bored / At Dawn They Sleep (Split with 16) (1996, Pessimiser)
- He's No Good To Me Dead - 74 Minutes of Extreme Pain (Split with Sourvein, Bongzilla, Negative Reaction and Subsanity) (1999, Game Two Records)
- Turbulent Times (Compilation) (2000, Southern Lord Records)
- Alive (Live Album) (2006, Southern Lord Records)
- European Tour 7" (2008, Alerta Antifascista Records)
Members
Grief (Final Lineup)
- Eric Harrison - Bass, Vocals, Lyrics, Artwork
- Ray McCaffrey - Drums
- John Heidenrich - Guitars
- Jeff Hayward - Guitar, Vocals
Grief (Past Members)
- Randy Odierno - Bass, Drums
- Pete Donovan - Drums
- Tim Morse - Drums
- Chuck Conlon - Drums
- Pete Cassin - Drums
- Rick Johnson - Drums
- Jay Stiles - Guitars
- Steve Nelson - Guitars
- Terry Savastano - Guitar (1991 - 2000, 2005)
Come To Grief
- Terry Savastano - Guitars
- Rick Johnson - Drums
- Jonathan Hébert - Guitar, Vocals
- Justin Christian - Bass
External Links
References
- ↑ Antigravity MagazineAccessed 19 February 2017
- ↑ Grief WebpageAccessed 19 February 2017
- ↑ Blabbermouth via Wayback Machine GRIEF Calls It Quits, accessed 19 February 2017
- ↑ The ObeliskAccessed 19 February 2017
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