They Grieve "I Made my Sacrifices Accordingly" EP Review

    “I Made my Sacrifices Accordingly” is one cohesive experience of grief and renewal that makes this EP a powerful experience. Out of the ashes of Alaskan and Stay Here, They Grieve pulls from the same well musically, but places a larger emphasis on the weight of each note, giving their music more room to breathe. 

    All the ingredients from past projects are there; sparse but impactful drumming, heavy but not overly distorted guitars, and throat-shredding vocals. All have a familiarity from the past, but are mastered with this project. 

    A notable new addition to this project is the incorporation of synths. Often, synthesizers are seen as a dirty thing in heavy music; often associated with eighties top 40. With this EP, however, synthesizers are used textually as a way to create atmosphere, and to fill a void left absent by having no bass player. The addition helps to create seamless transition that They Grieve is clearly striving for to link one track to the next. 

    Ultimately, we are given given a glimpse into one complete thought by the group. For fans of their previous projects, this will be seen as a welcomed and familiar next step that has room for immense growth.