Grief Collector- The Death of All Dreams

Grief Collector is a doom metal band with roots in Minneapolis, Minnesota who formed in 2017.  Their latest release, “The Death of All Dreams,” is their third full-length album; they have also released an EP.

Grief Collector’s sound can probably best be described as epic or traditional doom metal but, honestly, it doesn’t really fit.  Compared to other doom genres like funeral or death doom, then traditional might be the best way to describe them since their sound definitely isn’t as extreme as those aforementioned genres.   

However, how many traditional doom bands sound like Sabbath clones?  How many have the same old tired vocalist that sounds like he is both constipated and suffering congestion from the flu?  How many of them spend their album talking about weed if they venture too far into stone territory?

Rhetorical questions and anyone reading this already knows the answer.  I like traditional/stoner/epic/non-extreme doom (doom and anything under that umbrella is my favorite genre) but it is also a tired genre with bands few and far between that don’t sound like they weren’t formed out of a cloud of fart dust that was trapped in the cushions of a couch from 1972.  

Grief Collector’s “The Death of All Dreams,” has none of these issues and sounds totally different than a lot of doom metal I’ve heard this year.  This album is heavy as fuck and doesn’t focus on a retread of the same five Sabbath’s riffs nor do they try to sound like an American version of Candlemass (though Rob Lowe used to sing for this band too).  This has a modern heaviness to it—produced amazingly well with a huge sound that lets every note hit me like a karate kick to my ears. 

The band doesn’t shy away from atmosphere or melody, either.  Sure, the power of the riff compels us all, but it never hurts to be dynamic.  Every song across this album’s 10 track, 56 minute runtime sounds different enough from the previous one that it never gets boring.  “The Death of All Dreams,” also sounds very cohesive with a fantastic flow from beginning to end. 

Matt Johnson’s guitar and bass put so much work into these songs, with a ton of awesome parts that make me want to rewind them over and over again.   Check out the lead guitar around the 3:12 mark in the opening title track and the bass/rhythm guitar that makes it up: gripping and exuding atmosphere while also being catchy. 

Brad Miller’s drums are insanely well written and without his efforts, this album would sound totally different.   “Agony Eater,” being just one example, he plays it tight but just free enough in the slower parts to keep the song interesting while complementing the tempo. But when the song brings the pain around the halfway mark, his clever playing gets heavy-handed with strikes that sound like cannon fire and a foundation of double bass that holds up the deep riffage.

Julian Küster’s vocals are spellbinding, and he gives one of the best clean vocal performances I’ve heard this year.  This dude sounds like he is singing from atop a tower, but he isn’t overly falsetto or corny.  Instead, he is emotionally powerful and gives a constantly engaging performance with a seemingly never-ending supply of energy.  

Let’s jump back to the title track.  It takes confidence and vigor to open up your album with its namesake but with about two seconds, “The Death of all Dreams,” confirms that making such a statement is easy for his band.  Clean tones begin the song as distortion creeps in and the drums build up the tension.  The bass drops soon after and I just knew the bottom would fall out–and it did with massive grooves and killer vocals.  Around the 3:29 mark, a stalking riff and bass line crushes the senses while Julian sings his goddamn ass off.  

Doom doesn’t always have to crawl by at a snail’s bass and that notion is embraced with “Funeral World,” which has a much faster tempo.  It’s headbanging at a premium and if this song is played live, I can imagine bodies crashing against each other.  The groove of Brad’s drums don’t let up, driving the song alongside Matt’s bass.  The middle passage is a little psychedelic and I welcome the change of pace because it makes the galloping riffs and solos that come after all the more potent. 

“A Sickening Sadness,” begins with riff straight out of the book of doom but what begins as an old-school approach quickly evolves into a hammer slab of distortion. The vocals could stop a train; such is their power. There is an odd (in a good way) melody that lays over the riffs while the bass holds it all up high—epic indeed. The song breaks down into an acoustic package complete with keys/strings and it's a very moving and lovely piece of music. 

“Agony Eater,” is a late album banger that is one of the more straightforward songs here but that just means it is laser focused on bulldozing the listener.  The guitar solo is KILLER but the best part comes after with the band just grooving along like an unstoppable, rampaging beast.

“Nightmares Wide Awake,” is the last original song on the album, as the final one is a Moody Blues cover.    This song has a sort of Southern metal feel to me with some of the riffs, reminding me of a doom version of Down with way more soaring vocals of course.  

Grief Collector's “The Death of All Dreams,” is an impressive album with a high focus on great songwriting. It's a love letter to doom while still being its own thing.  This album will stick with you longer after the album fades out because you'll immediately hit that repeat button. 

Rating: Excellent