Earthen Grave

Earthen Grave were a little-known doom metal band from Chicago. They put out one self-titled LP in 2012 before disbanding two years later. We’ll call it doom metal, but it’s a sort of hybrid of doom, heavy metal, heavy rock, and…country music. I’ll elaborate. What you have in Earthen Grave is a heavy metal/rock band, accompanied by vocalist Mark Weiner, who pretty much sounds like a country singer (albeit a very talented one), and classically trained violinist Rachel Barton Pine.

If all this sounds like a hot mess novelty act you would be forgiven for thinking so. But Earthen Grave have made some very intelligent decisions in the process of writing this album. Unlike many ‘folk’ bands that use a violin – to add texture, to give off a certain vibe – Barton is using the instrument like a lead guitar. From listening to this record there’s no doubt that she is a virtuoso, but her use of the instrument is one that interacts with the guitars as equals; they play off each other in jams and complement each other in harmonies. The instrument is worked into the very foundations of the music, as an essential element to it; as opposed to more common uses of the violin within metal as simply chucked on as an afterthought to give the music folk-cred.

As well heavy/doom metal, this album indulges in many rock formulas – ballads, big choruses, catchy hooks – but it is delivered with such class and daring originality that one simply cannot help but get carried along with it. Every time one thinks they are being fed hammy American rock with little to recommend it, Earthen Grave turn the music on its head and throw each track into a completely unexpected direction. Yes, the rock techniques are there, such as leaving room for improvisation, the instruments playing call and response. But they are usually couched within a well-disciplined structure that always brings the narrative back to a logical conclusion. This puts it more in line with metal in terms of the narrative compositional technique.

Some may find the relentless Americana hard to swallow. Earthen Grave do essentially sound like a country band playing metal after all. But if you can look past that, this novel approach to doom metal has a wealth of treats to reveal. In addition they have thrown in a cover of Witchfinder General’s ‘Burning a Sinner’ and Pentagram’s ‘Relentless’. Although for my money they don’t really bring anything new to the table with these numbers, and as a result they simply act as filler. Aside from that however, this is a uniquely charming album which is all the more so for the fact that it should be so incredibly shit.

From the outside, Earthen Grave look like an awful novelty act that should be dismissed as such, but they're actually a well crafted modern heavy metal outfit. You may not like the way Earthen Grave have served up their dish, but there’s no denying they harnessed their ingredients to great effect.

Originally published at Hate Meditations

Comparisons to Black Sabbath are pretty played out in the world of doom metal, but Earthen Grave provides one rarely seen example of the influence at play. The Chicagoans’ 2013 self-titled album starts off with a self-titled song, a monolithic number that crosses opening ambiance with a couple dirge verses and a faster paced climax. The band offers enough personal touches to keep it from feeling like an exact replica, but damn it all if those bell chimes don’t encourage this exact line of thinking.

Opening aside, Earthen Grave has a pretty quirky approach to traditional doom. The band’s usage of violin is especially noteworthy; it’s often used to support the riffs at climactic points, but it does so without feeling too superfluous or driving the band into a more folk direction. Fortunately, the other band members don’t slouch as the guitars ultimately drive the songs with a Trouble-style crunchy tone while the vocals are largely delivered in an urgent, high-pitched wail reminiscent of Chris Cornell.

But while the atmosphere is almost always on point, the songwriting could stand to be tighter. “Dismal Times” is a solid highlight thanks to its apocalyptic tone and things really come together on the ten minute “Death on the High Seas," but the structural transitions on songs like “Blood Drunk” and “Beneath a Shovel Load” can feel rather forced while hooks on others like “Titled World” and “Fall In” don’t quite land. Including two cover songs was also a rather odd move and one can imagine the album being considerably tighter without them, especially with the third verse lyrical fumble on “Burning a Sinner.”

Earthen Grave’s sole album would’ve benefitted from more concise songwriting, but its unique doom style remains intriguing. The violin is used to great effect and the other musicians’ talents are enough to keep it from feeling too gimmicky. This album feels like a grower and it’s a shame that the band split before they were able to develop this sound even further. Either way, fans of groups like Trouble or Soundgarden may find this relevant to their interests.

Highlights:
“Earthen Grave”
“Dismal Times”
“Death on the High Seas”