THE GRIEF is a Gothic Doom Metal band based out of Cork, Ireland. Formed in 2016, "Ascent" is their debut EP, which contains four tracks. "A New Dawn" kicks off the album. Solemn, dual guitars open the song, leading to a slow, weighted affair with clean vocals. In the chorus, there are harmonies in both the vocals and guitars. Bass notes basically echo the guitars. The mix of Gothic elements with Doom elements is actually easy to hear. "In Defiance" is about the same length. Following an opening riff, the sound drops to just somber clean guitars, and lamenting vocals. Harsh vocals join in at the chorus.

"Call of the Void" opens with bass guitar notes carrying a bit of melody, leading to the dropping of the main riff. Several guitar parts intertwine, but there is a small disconnect with the key of the clean vocals. The layering of the guitars does however create a nice, meaty landscape, especially with the lead guitar notes. It brings the doomy elements out more. "Departed" closes the EP. Clean guitars combine with distorted guitars, and the bass lines can be heard as well. It could just be an issue of pitch, but there is again a bit of a disconnect with the vocals as times.

Overall, this wasn't bad. The layering in the guitars is perhaps the best feature of the music in general, and I could have used a few more harsh vocals here and there. It's a good starting point for a band's debut EP and I'm happy that the band threw their hat in the ring and are getting their music out there for people to hear. The artwork is very nicely done, and this is an effort that they can only build on for the future.