For everything that the underground has to offer across the many different styles of metal, it’s obvious to even the most casual fan of the genre that the more classic veins very much so hold a stranglehold over many artists in a way that cannot be overstated. Every time we find ourselves before one band doing its own thing, there’s an entire legion that we have to sift through that sought to bring some sort of glory to the old school. Some, though, manage to overcome and deliver a performance that actually does the old school justice. With their fourth album, Grief Collector does just that to spectacular effect.
Doom, out of the many different flavors of metal that we have to choose from, is something of a tricky subject. It’s one of the few sounds that one can pull into many different directions and still remain “classic” depending on who you ask. Whatever or whoever it was precisely that Grief Collector sought to channel throughout their records I cannot simply pin down, but it’s clear throughout the performance of “The Death of All Dreams” that their influences have been done more than enough justice given the high proficiency and awesome power that’s thrown down in virtually every single minute of each track. Across these ten tracks, Grief Collector manages to interweave melody, calculated heaviness, and a glisten that I can only describe as old school, all of which come together brilliantly to make the whole of “The Death of All Dreams” a singularly rewarding listen that takes you through much of what this vein of doom has long been known for. In no small way, Grief Collector delivers upon anything and everything that it set out to do with this record. Becoming far more than the mere sum of their influences and furthering their particular sound to tremendous effect, it is this record that showcases the power, talent, and passion behind Grief Collector that stands tall as a delectable treat any and all fans of the genre should be investigating with haste.
Not reinventing the wheel nor seeking to be the next big thing in the sound, it’s in simply channeling their highly revered style that Grief Collector has come out on top with an undeniable victory of an album. “The Death of All Dreams” is sublime even in its smallest moments with the experience and passion of Grief Collector doing more than enough to deliver unto listeners what we seldom receive.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLHevMCgVTk