Today, Old School forms of Metal are evident, and no one can deny this fact. But as usual, some bands are just copying what was left in the sands of time, and others are picking all the clichés that are eroded by time to make musical works that can be relevant, and others are in the will of creating something new and different from what already exists. On this last group is the Italian trio IN GRIEF, as depicted by "An Eternity of Misery", their first album.

They're a Doom Death Metal act that, even based on classic forms of the genre, prefers to use a more refined way. It can be said that they prefer to assemble influences of MY DYING BRIDE during "Turn loose the Swans" (even some violin parts can be heard, emulated by the keyboards) days and PARADISE LOST on "Gothic"/"Shades of God" era. These words mean that, even being brutal and aggressive, with all those oppressive ambiences that are usual for the genre, they prefer to have a sad, melancholic and elegant outfit, with their own personality flowing from the songs and seducing the fans. Yes, it's really a very good release.

The band prefers to use a better defined sonority that those putrid forms usual for bands that search sonorities of the early days of the genre. It can be said as a blend between the brutal and raw grasp of the initial days of the genre with some refinement that entered Doom Death Metal acts, allowing their musical work to express in a better way the melancholy of their songs. And in a form that anyone can understand without problems.

"Beyond the Dark Veil" (that in its beginning sounds like a raw Doom Death Metal song, soon shows the elegant outfit of its melodic arrangements, especially on the guitars, and what lovely keyboards touches), "Ярна" and "Curse My Soul" (the grunts fits perfectly on the funeral ambiences of this one, in a another very good sets of elegant arrangements), "Demons" (where some Post-Punk influences can be heard in the middle of the oppressiveness of the genre), and "Dig Hopes" (very good work of bass guitar and drums) and "The Dagger, the Chain, the Scourge" form the dorsal spine of the best moments of the album.

IN GRIEF comes as a fine revelation in the Doom Death Metal scene, and "An Eternity of Misery" is really a charming release that deserves to be heard lots of times.