Doom has this stigma of being supremely heavy and an absolute riff-fest with many circles of the sound certainly perpetuating that stereotype, but it needs to be made clear every so often that there is far more to the sound than that with the original flavors of the style still incredibly strong. While old bastions of that vein are still always welcome by all accounts, new blood is always a welcome sight especially when it’s done justice. When I came across The Grief three years ago with its debut EP, I had a solid feeling in my gut when it came to the band’s future. I’m not always right when it comes to such things, but to see this full-length album come about after another EP and three years of silence, it certainly does offer a certain sense of satisfaction and puts a smile right across my face.

It’s always a welcome sight to behold a band come around and not just have a great idea of what particular sound they want to perform but to see it done in a wondrous fashion that really makes you wonder what else that band can bring to the table once they’ve really honed their skills. That was precisely what I wondered when I came upon The Grief for the first time with everything that’s been summoned forth for the nine tracks of “Crucible” certifiably some of the best doom metal of its kind that I’ve heard in far too long. Melodic, melancholic, and never once lacking in dreariness that has an undeniable sense of beauty to it all, The Grief has done a lot more in this effort than simply showing us that the Irish doom scene still is nothing to be ignored! Each and every track of “Crucible” is an incredibly moving work that touches upon many different facets of the soul be it longing, sorrow, and loss without it all being a truly bleak performance as The Grief even allows for the tiniest sliver of light to makes its way through the cracks of the blackened sky to really give us all sorts of contrast that effortlessly enables “Crucible” to become so much more at the mere drop of a hat. This is what happens when classic doom meets with the tenacity and passion of a newer band that is more than willing to put in the work many times over to do justice for the sound, and it should go without saying that The Grief has put on a terrific display of what it means to see such a phenomenon unfold brilliantly.

Not a single step taken in the creation of this album should be brought into question. While I know damn well that there is room for improvement as there is with all things, The Grief should feel nothing but immense pride in what they’ve put forth for their first full-length record. “Crucible” is a spectacular album for the band, the Irish scene, doom metal in 2023, and anybody who finds themselves captured by the storm that came together carefully over three years to ensure that when it did make landfall it would not be something to miss. In no small way, The Grief achieves that impact spectacularly at every opportunity.

“Crucible” releases on October 15th!

LISTEN to The Grief on Bandcamp here.

LIKE The Grief on Facebook here.