Grief - ...And Man Will Become Hunted

Grief is:
Jeff Hayward - Guitar/Vocals
Terry Savastano - Guitar
Eric Harrison - Bass/Vocals/Artwork
Rick Johnson - Drums

Years Active: 1991-2001

Tracklist:
[1998]-[...And Man Will Become Hunted]
Predator
I Won't Come Back
If The World Was Flat
Ostrich
Hurricane Jello
Down In The Dumps Again
No Escape
When Rotten Ideas Break Free
-Approx. 49 minutes



Grief biography:

Grief was founded in 1991 by Disrupt guitarist Terry Savastano and drummer Randy Odierno (who later switched to bass and later again left to join Bane of Existence). They broke up in 2001 mainly due to drummer problems - something that was an ongoing problem for the band from the start. They also cited what they called a "hostile environment for doom metal bands". They reunited briefly in July 2005 to play a cluster of reunion shows.

The band had several 7"s including one with Dystopia and Corrupted each. A compilation album called Turbulent Times appeared in 2002 through Southern Lord. The group reunited for one show at the first annual New England Grind And Doom Fest on July 17th, 2005 at The Middle East Cafe in Cambridge, MA. They were so excited by the response to this show that they began booking others, and they toured intermittently throughout 2005 and 2006.

In 2005, the band played shows through in venues including The Ace of Clubs and The Knitting Factory in New York, The Khyber in Philadelphia, O'Brien's in Allston/Brighton, MA, The Living Room in Providence, RI, and Cherry St. Station in CT.

In 2006 Southern Lord Records released a full length live album called Alive which featured their performance at the 2005 New England Grind And Doom Fest. The album features artwork by Eric C. Harrison, who did much of the band's painted cover artwork.

Grief's final appearance was at Emissions From The Monolith 8, a sludge/doom festival that took place in Ohio, May 2006.

The Hartford Advocate wrote the following about their 12/3/05 date at Cherry St. Station in CT:

"Since 1991, these Massholes have been writing songs about a distinctly New England flavor of depression and isolation. Jeff Hayward’s throat-shredding vocals often seem more hardcore than metal; indeed, almost 15 years later, it’s possible to see Grief as one of a handful of seminal NE bands who initiated the merger between hardcore and metal. However, unlike some of those bands, Grief still sounds both relevant and entertaining."

Album Review:
As far as I am aware this is the last album by Grief before they broke up. Often misunderstood and scorned, they never became as well known as Eyehategod or Crowbar (although they deserved it). The band called it quits in 2001, run down by an unforgiving music industry. The anguish and torment of all those years has been captured perfectly on this album filled with sludgy doom.

Grief has always been extreme and stands on a lonely height when it comes to the filth, pain and misery in their music. While they have "calmed down" a bit since their debut 'Dismal', this album is anything but a cute little puppy. No sir, this is still one hell of an angry, neglected, vicious and mistreated rotweiler barking out in anger. The music is painfully slow and twisted while Jeff Hayward screams out his frustrations.

But okay the music has become a little more accessible throughout the years; it can now actually really be called music and not just "pain and torture pressed on a silver disk". This mainly due to the introduction of more of a sabbathish groove (if that would be an appropriate name for such a slow pace) and melody. But as said before, don't let that fool you into thinking they "mellowed out". By their gradual evolution they managed to create an album just as painful for the soul and tortured as on their debut, but a little easier on the eardrums. And that is also where their "accessible" sound ends.

What a shame that they were eventually crushed by the only thing more twisted and disturbed then their own music: the music industry and life itself. Luckily most of the Grief members have already started a new band. Lets hope it will be as brilliant as this album. For now however get this album if you don't own it yet because trust me, the pain will last! A must for all the sludge fans and fans of "slowed down death-metal" like Winter.


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