Grief
Come to Grief (Century Media)
An interview with Terry Savastano , Pete Donovan, Randy Odierno
by Scott Hefflon
To refer to this band as “Boston’s Grief” would be horribly inaccurate. The beer-swilling, hate/sludge/doom metallers of Grief are an abomination of nature, and no self-respecting, alternative-friendly scene in the land would publicly embrace them.
Grief are destined to be outlaws marauding the countryside, their notoriety preceding them from town to town. Romantic visions come to mind of black knights riding into town with god-fearing, weather-uglied mothers scooping their bony, flea-infested children from the knights’ path. With their latest release, Come to Grief (Century Media), it appears Grief didn’t have to do the circle jerk, who-you-know bullshit to make a hell of a name for themselves. Either they don’t have the whipped-dog-that-still-wags-its-tail trait in them, or they just didn’t give a fuck. Either way, Grief (who just happen to live in the Boston area) made it to the big leagues on sheer hate. Their goal, in their own words, is, “to play the heaviest, slowest, most mind-numbing music humanly possible.” Grief oozes hate the way a slug oozes slime.
After missing their show at the Middle East due to alcohol-induced lethargy and a gorgeous blonde on my arm (well, my third arm), I caught a few minutes with Grief. While their playful evilness doesn’t transcribe too effectively, you get the idea. My own Jägermeister-thickened tongue also contributes to the inanity of the questions, but the guys of Grief handle chaos with ease.
So what’s it like to get shit for support in Boston, and then be signed nationally and internationally on Century Media?
Part of the reason we never were part of the Boston crowd is we never even played Boston until ’94. We used to have this “smash Boston” attitude, but now it’s like, fuck it… We’ve been attracting a lot of freaky people; each show there’re more and more.
What’s next: Grief tattoos, comic books, Grief breakfast cereal?
Well, it’s bound to happen sooner or later. The Boston scene used to suck, but there’re a lot of all-ages shows now. We’re playing a lot more now, and getting less shitty shows. The shows are definitely getting bigger.
Like a Tuesday night show at the Middle East Upstairs?
(Laughter and garbled comments not to be printed.) Right. Actually it’s cool ’cause you’ve got your friends around. It’s cool.
What about tours and stuff?
(I pause for a few shots; somebody crunches Saltines into the mic; bouncers bitch loudly for us to get out.) … did California for two weeks, but when the album comes out… it is out, shithead… well, like it just came out at midnight… then, we’ll feel that, Yeah! feeling, and start booking a tour.
Then we went to the bar where no witticisms were uttered, but plenty of liquor was consumed.
