Grief - Alive

Review by Diga Producciones Nicaragua

Alive by Grief: A Sludge Metal Masterpiece That Kicks You in the Gut If you’re into music that feels like it’s dragging your soul through tar and broken glass, then Alive by Grief is the album for you. Released back in 2006 on Southern Lord Records, this slab of sludge metal hits hard—not just with its riffs but with an emotional weight that sticks to your ribs long after the last note fades. It’s raw, ugly, beautiful, and everything a great rock record should be. Let me start with “Polluted,” because holy hell does this track grab you by the throat. The opening riff alone feels like someone dropped a boulder on your chest—slow, heavy, and suffocating in all the right ways. Jeff Hayward’s vocals are raspy and pissed-off, like he’s screaming from somewhere deep inside a collapsing mine shaft. And when John Heidenrich’s guitar work kicks in? Forget about it. This isn’t just music; it’s catharsis wrapped in distortion. Every time I hear it, I feel like punching a wall or hugging someone who gets why life can suck so much sometimes. Weird combo, I know, but that’s what makes it unforgettable. Then there’s “I Hate The Human Race.” Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard bands try to sound angry before, but this one nails it without coming off as cheesy. Rick Johnson’s drumming pounds away like a heartbeat under stress while Eric Harrison’s basslines rumble beneath the chaos, holding everything together even as it threatens to fall apart. There’s something brutally honest about how unapologetic this song is—it doesn’t sugarcoat anything. By the end, you either wanna scream along with it or sit quietly in the dark thinking about your choices. Either reaction works. What really sets Alive apart is how real it feels. These guys aren’t trying to reinvent the wheel here—they’re just pouring their guts out onto tape. You can tell they mean every word, every chord, every growl. The production has that gritty, live-in-the-room vibe that lets you imagine being crammed into some sweaty basement show where everyone smells like beer and despair. Artwork by Eric C. Harrison perfectly matches the mood too—dark, grimy, and hauntingly simple. By the time the final notes of “World Of Hurt” fade out, you might find yourself wondering if listening to this album was good for your mental health. But honestly? Sometimes you need something that ugly and true to remind you that art doesn’t have to be pretty to be powerful. And hey, fun fact: these dudes wrote all six tracks themselves. No ghostwriters, no algorithms—just pure human rage and talent. Makes you wonder if maybe the world could use more albums like this instead of whatever pop nonsense dominates the charts these days. Or maybe not. Maybe the world couldn’t handle it. Anyway, go listen to Alive. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you—it’ll mess you up in the best possible way.

Artist: Grief
Album: Alive

Rock

Sludge Metal

2006

Rating: 4.59

Review
About Album
Download
Tracks
Video
Images
Catalog Numbers
Labels
Listen online
Formats
Companies
Credits
Notes
Barcodes
About Artist
Interesting fact
Comments
Related albums

Download

Filename: grief-alive.zip

MP3 size: 44.1 mb
FLAC size: 382.9 mb

Download

Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Earthworm	9:50
Angry Man	4:37
One Of Those Days	4:05
Ruined	4:18
I Hate The Human Race	3:17
World Of Hurt	5:21
Polluted	9:19

Video

GRIEF - Alive

GRIEF - Alive (FullAlbum) (2006)

Images

Catalog Numbers

sunn59

Labels

Southern Lord

Listen online

escuchar en línea
ouvir online
lytte på nettet
ascolta in linea
écouter en ligne
lyssna på nätet
kuunnella verkossa
online luisteren
online anhören

Formats

CD
Album
Limited Edition
Numbered

Companies

Role	Company
Manufactured By	Furnace MFG
Glass Mastered At	Sony DADC

Credits

Role	Credit
Artwork	Eric C. Harrison
Bass	Eric Harrison
Drums	Rick Johnson
Guitar	John Heidenrich
Backing Vocals	John Heidenrich
Vocals	Jeff Hayward
Written-By	Grief (tracks: 1 to 6)

Notes

Limited to 2000 numbered copies.
Recorded live in Boston 2005.

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout: DIDX-123988 1 FMFG · SUNN59
Mastering SID Code: IFPI L327
Mould SID Code: IFPI 50E5
Other (Mirrored, in matrix ring): A01

About Grief

Sludge doom metal band from Boston, which was formed in 1991 as a side project of members of . They broke up in 2001, but did a reunion tour in 2005, which was followed by a CD featuring recordings from this tour. Final Line-Up: Jeff Hayward - Vocals/Guitars Eric Harrison - Bass/Vocals John Heidenrich - Guitar Rick Johnson - Drums Previous members: Terry Savastano - Guitars Randy Odierno - Bass or Drums Jay Stiles - Guitars Pete Donovan - Drums Steve Nelson - Guitars Chuck Conlon - Drums Tim Morse - Drums Pete Cassin- Drums Ray Mcaffrey - Drums Bill T Miller - Engineer/Co-Producer

Members

Steve Nelson
Rick Johnson
Randy Odierno
Jeff Hayward
Terry Savastano
Jay Stiles
John Heidenrich
Eric Harrison
Peter Donovan
Chuck Conlon
Ray McCaffrey

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s a cool fact: The album *Alive* by Grief is a raw, unfiltered snapshot of their live energy. It’s wild to think that this sludge metal gem came out in 2006, recorded with such grit it feels like you’re standing right there in the room. The band credits are tight-knit—Eric Harrison not only laid down bass but also handled the artwork. And get this, John Heidenrich pulled double duty on guitar and backing vocals while Jeff Hayward owned the mic. Every track, from "Polluted" to "World of Hurt," was written by the band themselves. It’s got that heavy, Southern Lord vibe that fans of the genre still can’t get enough of.