NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – January 25, 2022
Minimalist Drone Collides With Dreary Doom In THEY GRIEVE’s “Wither”
New Album Out Feb 2023 via Silent Pendulum Records
Produced by Topon Das (F*ck The Facts)
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Photo Credit – Nick Shaw
“To Which I Bore Witness” is the second release from Canada’s post-metal duo They Grieve. Intended to be an introspective journey, it is meant to be depressing. The listener will be confronted with sad, loud music that’s not meant to cross into anger. The latest single is “Wither”, the album opener, which happened to be written twice. The band explains in detail:
“The decision to scrap the original version in its entirety was anxiety-inducing at first, but clearly feels like the right decision now that everything is said and done. We spent a lot of time fine-tuning the last half of the song, and the ending was one of our favourite parts to write—in fact, it is still one of our favourite parts to play live. Writing this song really forced us to get more comfortable with not only using samples in a live context, but also with blending and balancing tones and dynamics at the same time to ensure everything hits in the right place. Without our electronics, we would need 5 or 6 guitarists to pull this off on stage.”
The band’s first EP was written quickly out of excitement for their new project. At first, they didn’t quite know what the band would end up being. Since then they have honed their sound and that is reflected in this new offering, which listeners will find more refined and nuanced. They slowed down, got heavier, leaned more into their drone, minimalist, and doom influences, and steered away from the colder, noisier moments on the first EP. They also note that the production level is much better thanks to Topon Das (F*ck The Facts) at Apartment Two Studio along with mastering done by Dave Williams at Eight Floors Above and additional tracks recorded by Alex Jakimczuk at Uppercut Studios. The album artwork was done by Pascale Arpin.
They Grieve took a long time to fine-tune these songs. Several of them were completely finished and even performed live before they eventually re-wrote them from the ground up. They actively collaborate on each song leaning into their individual strengths.
Self-described as tense atmospheres and sad riffs, “To Which I Bore Witness” and the single “Wither” is recommended for fans of Bell Witch, Thou, and Year of No Light. The album is being released on February 24, 2023, via Silent Pendulum Records.
Watch and listen to the video for “Wither” via its premiere on DoomedandStoned HERE.
Digital pre-save – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/theygrieve/wither
Album pre-order:
– https://silentpendulumrecords.com/products/they-grieve-lp
– https://silentpendulumrecords.bandcamp.com/album/to-which-i-bore-witness
Music Video – “To Which I Bore Witness” – https://youtu.be/MV5DMP0rERE
Album teaser – https://youtu.be/I2x696h8LCw
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Track Listing:
1. Wither (7:12)
2. Under the Weight (7:23)
3. If Light Should Appear (7:00)
4. To Which I Bore Witness (6:43)
5. Guided (3:18)
6. Weakness (8:01)
Album Length: 39:40
Album Band Lineup:
Gary Thibert: Guitars, Bass, Vocals
Deniz Güvenç: Drums, Synthesizers, Piano, Vocals
Album Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: Deniz Guvenc & Gary Thibert
• All songs written by: Deniz Guvenc & Gary Thibert
• Produced by: Topon Das at Apartment 2 Studios
• Mixed by: Topon Das at Apartment 2 Studios
• Mastered by: Dave Williams at Eight Floors Above
• Album Artwork by: Pascale Arpin
• Additional tracks recorded by Alex Jakimczuk at Uppercut Studios
For more info:
www.facebook.com/theygrieve
www.instagram.com/theygrieve
About: They Grieve is a two-piece doom, drone, and post-metal band based in Ottawa, Canada. Drawing influence from both minimalist ambient music and down-tempo metal, they blend warm synthesizers, electronics, and lofty guitar drones into mournful hymns and monolithic dirges with urgency, tension, and weight.
Members Gary Thibert and Deniz Güvenç formed They Grieve in 2015 with the intent to experiment with new forms and processes for songwriting, collaboration, and improvisation. Their first EP, I Made My Sacrifice Accordingly, was self-recorded and self-released in late 2016. In 2018, it was re-released with an added bonus track and accompanying music video through Transcending Records.
They Grieve are set to release their first full-length album entitled To Which I Bore Witness. Recorded at Apartment 2 with Topon Das of Fuck the Facts, this album presents a marked change in the band’s sound. Moving away from the harsh-noise influence on their first album, To Which I Bore Witness unveils a much more refined approach to texture and atmosphere while simultaneously shifting to a slower, heavier pace.
Employing a nuanced sense of harmony, the result is an emotional, dynamic, and doom-laden take on post-metal.
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“In the song (To Which I Bore Witness) itself, the music lumbers like a wounded leviathan, staggering ahead with terrific heaviness through corrosive chords and pounding drums — and unexpectedly, it also gets significantly louder, all the better to crush the listener into submission. Enhancing the daunting atmosphere of the music, the vocals scar the senses with harsh howls of ruinous torment, and a guitar wails in bitter grief. Suddenly, just as the video’s protagonist lands on a barren beach (to meet her other self), the music dramatically changes. A slow piano melody ethereally rings in moody but mesmerizing fashion above a humming bass and steady beats. That interlude only seems to magnify the bruising impact of what follows it. The piano still rings, but the rough reverberations that surround it abrade like heavy-grit sandpaper, and the screams reach new heights of harrowing intensity. The drums boom, the chords scrape and moan, the feeling of immense desolation becomes staggering. The protagonist buries the box she removed from within forest roots and wanders away, alone.” – No Clean Singing
“As you can probably imagine from the song titles, They Grieve are not a happy band. The duo infuse a lifetime’s worth of depression and darkness into their music, drawing inspiration from acts like Grieve, Amarok and Burning Witch.” – Decibel Magazine (All That a Body Can Suffer off I Made My Sacrifice Accordingly)
“[…] a surprisingly nuanced take on sludge metal.” – Dreams of Consciousness
“Previously I had compared the music to an introspective journey. This feels more like sinking into quicksand.” – Metal Trenches (I Made My Sacrifice Accordingly)
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