They Grieve — To Which I Bore Witness

Composed of six well-crafted tracks, To Which I Bore Witness takes the listener on an emotional, yet heavy ride inward into their own psyche. While They Grieve is the band's name, it also works well as a subtitle to the album; grief, loss, despair, and bearing witness to life and its tumult. Adding to this, the black and white cover art of a two-headed deer consoling one of its heads. This speaks to the duality of our emotional state; while we may present as normal and functioning, part of us still holds onto this memory or trauma and is forced to do all the heavy lifting. With that in mind, one can look at the album through a very personal lens. There are heavy, crushing guitars, deep, throaty vocals, and precise and purposeful drums (with added keys and strings popping in to punctuate here and there), and all of these elements are important to actively put forth They Grieve's message. However, another important aspect of these pieces is how they shape and corral the blank spaces and open sections of the album (although not completely blank - reverbed notes drift in and color the space slightly). By shepherding this space, the active instruments allow the passive voice of the album to take on far more meaning and add depth and dimension purely in the listener's mind. Echoing the composition of dark and light from the cover, the duality is further reinforced and To Which I Bore Witness grows into a full-on experience.

 

Generating a lot of sound for a two-piece, They Grieve's second release is a deeply emotional album that captivates through pure sonic structure. Heavy and engaging, To Which I Bore Witness shows a wonderful marriage of doom and post-metal, utilizing both genre aspects wonderfully. Whether one is aiming to use sadness/emotion to heal or to further grieve, this album offers many pathways through one's emotions.