Review GRIEF COLLECTOR ‘En Delirium’

Grief Collector is a band name that is certainly known by doom metal insiders. This can have various reasons, but the two most plausible ones are that one listened already to ‘From Dissension to Avowal’, the EP that was released in 2019. And/or you know frontman Rob Lowe from his time with bands like Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus and others. The singer belongs to the big leagues of doom metal vocalists and his contribution to Grief Collector is a gain for the entire sound of the band.

Although Lowe is a crucial factor for Grief Collector, the band is the brainchild of Brad Miller and Matt Johnson, who together with Lowe started to work on songs. Six of these songs ended up on the EP, which was a springboard and helped the band to get some first attention. After having signed a deal with Petrichor Records, the time had come to start working on a full-length debut which now hits the shelves.

Nine songs are reflecting the entire fascination of doom metal. A basic mood of sorrow embraces each of the songs, a melancholy that gives you the shivers as well as it excites. Being in love with the slower tempo, the band doesn’t only stick to snail-pace. Songs like the powering ‘Our Poisonous Ways’ shows that the trio is able to shift gears without losing the context of that album.

The majority of songs is kept in slo-mo tempo though and the opener ‘Corridors’ is one of these slowly but heavy pounding doom-laden masterpieces. With an hypnotic expression the track covers your soul in darkness and so does ‘When Sanity Eludes Me’. The chiming bell, that starts the song is accompanied by an intensive riff. Lowe’s vocals join along the way while the tune evolves to an ode to despair and grief. This song doesn’t allow colors not sunlight.

‘Knee Deep in Devils’ comes with a chilly breeze from the graveyard with the band exploring how slow one can play metal. ’10 Days (of Disbelief)’ doesn’t change the general pattern of this great longplayer. It’s the nuances that vary and in this specific case, the calmer moments are more intense as some riff massacres. ‘Misery Mongers’ is another lament that hands it over to ‘Scorned Heart’ which is already the final chapter of this longplayer.

‘En Delirium’ is one of the best doom metal records since quite a while. Everything fits together extremely well. This album creates a special atmosphere, is touching, is intense and has a layered approach that ensures a great flow without leaving the self-given framing of slow-paced heavy metal. If you haven’t heard of Grief Collector, you should change it right here and now. Don’t miss it.