About
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. —Confucius
Conceived in early 2012, Second Grave adeptly combines elements of doom, heavy rock, and metal, with an emphasis on riff worship, heaviness and melody. Their sound partially hearkens back to a time when red hot tubes–pushed to their limit–delivered massive tone through huge cabinets, while delivering epic tales of ancient battles, horror, human nature and the mysteries of the arcane.
The band is made up of heavy rock veterans who all bring something unique to the proceedings, featuring Krista Van Guilder (co-founder of doom legends Warhorse, ex-Obsidian Halo, ex-Lucubro) on vocals and guitar, Maureen Murphy (Dimentianon) on bass who joined in June of 2014 replacing Dave Gein (Black Pyramid, The Scimitar), Chuck Ferreira (independent) on drums, and Chris Drzal (ex-Obsidian Halo, Winterbolt) on guitar.
By the end of 2012, Second Grave had released their debut self-titled E.P. (recorded at Black Coffee sound and co-produced by Clay Neely), and were honored to open New England area shows for the likes of Witch Mountain, Castle, Elder, and Pilgrim.
November of 2013 saw the release of the 2-song 10” EP “Antithesis” (released by Pariah Child on vinyl) and the band’s appearance at the Stoner Hands of Doom festival in Richmond, VA. May of 2014 saw the band at the Eye of the Stoned Goat Festival in Worcester, MA.
Second Grave released their long-awaited full length album—3 years in the making—on August 16th, 2016. They will appear at RPM Fest on August 27th.
The band announced their breakup on August 19th and officially disbanded on August 28th, 2016. Read the official announcement >>
Press for Second Grave:
“The songs are definitely catchy and highly melodic also thanks to Krista’s beautiful and seducing voice, but the richness in the composition, the architecture of the guitar/bass/drumming patterns and the continuous change in, let’s say, sonic perspective fill this album with originality and surprises.”
—Doomantia, February 2013
“…the structural prowess and strength of performance the band displays in these tracks makes them worth checking out, and whatever the four-piece move toward in their sound, they’ve given a notable and varied first showing to build from.”
“The sound blends doom, riff rock and an overarching sense of traditional metal darkness, and while the material isn’t bleak to the extent of some modern doom, neither is Second Grave in the business of upbeat heavy rock. They’re in the process of casting their own blend, rather, and even extended songs like the highlights “Covet” and “Mountains of Madness,” both of which top eight minutes, have a purposeful sense of structure and don’t veer too far into indulgence as to be accessible.”
—The Obelisk, January 2012
“…it’s actually “Covet” that acts as an introduction to the group’s style. After a moody soft opening and instrumental buildup, everything revs up as a prelude to Van Guilder’s effective vocals. “Mountains of Madness” is one of my favorite tracks, thanks to it being both catchy and apocalyptic. Everything is perfect in this-the drums, the guitars and the vocals (throaty growls thrown in for good measure towards the end). I especially appreciate how it manages to capture the feel of Lovecraft’s work without resorting to Mythos name-dropping.
“Second Grave has made one hell of a first impression in their self-titled debut album. As an EP, this “only” has six tracks and runs a little over a half hour. But believe me, you’re getting more than your money’s worth here. The majority of the tracks are rather lengthy (but never overstay their welcome) and you’re sure to find something you’ll like.”
—Gravedigger’s Local 16, January 2013
“Leading off the show was Worcester MA bred band SECOND GRAVE. I haven’t been this impressed in a long time from an opener like I was tonight. KRISTA VAN GUILDER’S (ex-WARHORSE/ OBSIDIAN HALO) dusky, enchanting voice gave me chills all set long. But more than just begin a foil talented front woman, the band grooves with great songs. Every member of the band added to the special sauce that made each song unique. I really like when bands have the entire package of style and songs, and care little for music conventions. There were so very heavy, yet catchy and highly memorable with songs suck as “Covet” and “Mountains of Madness”. This was a case where the openers nearly stole the show from the headliners, since they were that good. I’ll be listening out for them for a long time to come.”
—Metal Army America (review of Castle/Second Grave show, Boston MA, 1/28/13), February 2013
