Former Trouble member Ron Holzner joins celebrated violinist Rachel Barton Pine in Earthen Grave, a doom metal band with heavy metal energy and hard rock groove. It fits in the niche between depressive heavy metal doom like Derketa and stoner doom of the Spirit Caravan variety, but has some of the gravitas and theology of Trouble and other depressive heavy metal doom bands from the 1980s.
Earthen Grave, the band’s debut, has been re-issued as a double-CD or double-LP on the Ripple Music label, appearing in stores and online on July 9, 2013. The completely re-mastered debut release now contains a new song, “death is another word….” with drummer Chris Wozniak (formerly of Lair of the Minotaur).
While Earthen Grave has not gotten the overflowing press attention that has accompanied many other doom metal bands, this band offers more of a pure older-school feel to its doom metal, and does not pander to the me-first mentality that many people want to hear in their music. The result is pure bleakness and self-negation that periodically rocks out and then launches into a series of musically erudite solos. As a result, Earthen Grave may appeal to the musicians among us first, and later spread to the rest of the metal audience.
- June 22nd @ The Blue Pig – Cudahy, WI **
Days of The Doomed Fest III - July 20th @ The Boiler Room – Dallas, TX **
Heavy Fest II - August 10th @ Mayne Stage – Chicago, IL **
Record Release Party w/ Devil To Pay & Divinity Compromised - October 12th @ 3 Kings Tavern – Denver, CO
Denver Doom Fest III
** – EARTHEN GRAVE featuring Rachael Barton Pine
Tags: Doom Metal, earthen grave, Heavy Metal
Great review Cory Van der Pol!
I wish you could review an early 90s death-doom band too, they’re called Accidental Suicide, heard of them?
Accidental Suicide – Deceased 1992
The overall aesthetic combines an unavoidable sense of horror with a weird sense of mystery, as if you’re waking up in a confused stupor, in a room filled with greenish rotting corpses, with no idea where you are, how you got there, or what your name is. About the only thing that is clear from this album is that we are all going to die, and no matter what, you are completely helpless against this. The circumstances of your own death are wholly beyond your control—and they are likely to be gruesome and weird. Hell yes.
Reminds me of the sellout eras from former Finnish death metal bands that released “depressive” rock through Spinefarm half a decade later.
Yup, that could easily have been an Amorphis track in the article. Pure bleakness and self-negation? Maybe, it is somewhat depressing. Also Mr. Van der Pol sounds suspiciously similar to a Mr. Stevens.
I really like Rachel Pine`s attempts at being K.K. Downing, they are honestly great. She is a virtuoso genius at her instrument and obviously loves heavy metal, but unfortunately there is more to it than that. Look babe sorry about your legs but your band sucks.