Earthen Grave

Earthen Grave
Earthen Grave
	; Earthen Grave live in Canada, 2012.
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois
Genres	Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal
Years active	2008 - 2014
Labels	Claude & Elmo Music, Ripple Music
Associated acts	Trouble, Debris Inc., Place of Skulls, Goatsnake, Wet Animal, The Skull, Trifog, Spillage, Novembers Doom, I Klatus, Witchcryer, The Living Fields, Power King, Soul Pollution, Epitaph, Mr. Crazy, Unleashed Aggression, Warfare, Lair of The Minotaur, Fields of Burden, Father Befouled, Wintering, Serpent Crown, Stricken, Blood of Martyrs, Left Testicle Syndrome, Cold Bearded Killers, Stonehenge
Website	Earthen Grave Official via Wayback Machine

Earthen Grave was a band based out of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 2008 by members of Spillage, The Living Fields and Trouble along with award-winning violinist Rachel Barton Pine,^[1] this sextet would play a sound that would blend doom metal with classic heavy metal and thrash. The band also referred to their sound as "thrashy Chicago doom metal".^[2]

The band's career would be largely active between 2009 and 2014, releasing a single EP and a single album.

History[]

Earthen Grave was founded late in 2008, as Jason Muxlow was working on a new album for The Living Fields, listening to a lot of Saint Vitus (an '80s doom metal band) and writing down various doom metal guitar riffs. Looking for who might be able to play this style of music with him, Muxlow reached out to drummer Scott Davidson, General Manager of Chicago's WPJX 'Rebel Radio' heavy metal radio station, and "things just snowballed.”^[3]^[4]

They then enlisted bassist Ron Holzner, formerly of Trouble, to help with this new project.^[5] Muxlow says of the first jam as a trio, “The first rehearsal was tough, but after we sorted out some issues with downtuning, things really jelled.” The trio put out a classified ad on craigslist.org looking for a vocalist, and Mark Weiner responded the very next day.^[6]^[7]

Davidson, who had known violin virtuoso Rachel Barton Pine for many years through the Chicago metal scene, invited her to a rehearsal. Until this point in her career, Barton Pine had played only on a traditional acoustic violin, but participated in the band rehearsal using her new amplified six-string "Viper", an extended-range instrument related to the electric violin invented by Mark Wood. The band invited Barton Pine to join them shortly thereafter. Lastly, Tony Spillman would join.^[8]

The band's earliest known live performance would take place on 31 January 2009 at Metro, followed by gigs supporting the likes of Blackfinger and Pentagram.^[9] In early June 2009, the band spent a weekend Farview Recording in St. Charles, IL and recorded their first demo, Dismal Times. Dismal Times would feature three original songs, along with two covers in "Relentless" by Pentagram and "Burning A Sinner" by Witchfinder General.^[10] Dismal Times would attain positive reception.^[11]

After releasing their demo EP, the band received promising attention from even mainstream media, and performed live on NBC's "Today" program on 25 September 2009 following a profile segment focusing on Barton Pine.^[12]^[13] The band also received a short profile on the Chicago Reader's The List ("Critics' Choices and other notable concerts") by local music critic Monica Kendrick, specifically noting the unique sound brought to the group by Barton Pine's violin.^[14] The band was also broadcast live on 16 December 2009, on WGN-TV's "Midday News" program.^[15]^[16]

With significant media attention and positive reception, Earthen Grave would perform several more gigs had opened for the likes of Megadeth, Anvil, Tyr and Raven among others.^[17] On the evening of 11 July 2010, Earthen Grave performed at Chicago's Millennium Park as part of the Great Performers of Illinois celebration in which Pine would be awarded the "Great Performers of Illinois" award.^[18]^[19] In January 2011, the band was named the "2010 Best New Entertainer" at the Chicago Music Awards.^[20]

Earthen Grave would perform more frequently in 2011, including a gig opening for Trouble and their earliest known gig outside of Illinois in an appearance at Days of The Doomed among others.^[21] Working with Claude and Elmo Music, the eponymous Earthen Grave would see release on 22 April (Digital) and 24 April (CD) with a release party on 28 April 2012 at Reggies in Chicago.^[22]^[23] Earthen Grave would gain positive reception from several publications.^[24]^[25]^[26]^[27]^[28]

Along with a gig in Canada in 2012, Earthen Grave would share the stage with the likes of Church of Misery, Black Cobra, haarp and Venomous Maximus among an appearance at the twelfth edition of Stoner Hands of Doom.^[29] On 14 March 2013, Earthen Grave would sign with Ripple Music for a re-issue of Earthen Grave, featuring three bonus live tracks and a vinyl release. Released on 9 July 2013,^[30] a released party for the vinyl would take place a day later.^[31] The band would perform several more shows in 2013, their last overall on 21 November 2013.^[32]

On 22 September 2014 it was announced that Earthen Grave had disbanded, with Ron Holzner and Jason Muxlow mutually agreeing to end the group.^[33]

Members[]

Ron Holzner - Bass (2008 - 2014)
Marc Weiner - Vocals (2008 - 2014)
Rachel Barton Pine - Violin (2008 - 2014)
Tony Spillman - Guitar (2008 - 2014)
Jason Muxlow - Guitar (2008 - 2014)
Scott Davidson - Drums (2008 - 2012)
Chris Wozniak - Drums (2012 - 2014)

Discography[]

Dismal Times (EP) (2009, Self-Released)
Earthen Grave (2012, Claude & Elmo; 2013, Ripple Music)

External Links[]

References[]

[1] Rachel Barton Pine Official

[2] Discogs

[3] Rebel Radio via Wayback Machine

[4] Rachel Barton Pine via Wayback Machine

[5] Rachel Barton Pine via Wayback Machine

[6] Rachel Barton Pine via Wayback Machine

[7] WCRX Metal Show

[8] Earthen Grave via Wayback Machine

[9] Last.fm

[10] Earthen Grave via Wayback Machine

[11] Rachel Barton Pine Official

[12] Metal Insider

[13] Blabbermouth via Wayback Machine

[14] Chicago Reader

[15] WGN TV

[16] The Contrapuntist

[17] Last.fm

[18] Explore Chicago via Wayback Machine

[19] WBEZ via Wayback Machine

[20] Blabbermouth via Wayback Machine

[21] Last.fm

[22] Metal Underground

[23] Doom Mantia via Wayback Machine

[24] Echoes and Dust

[25] Angry Metal Guy

[26] The Sleeping Shaman

[27] Metal Temple

[28] Louder Sound

[29] Last.fm

[30] Metal Underground

[31] Last.fm

[32] Last.fm

[33] Metal Kaoz

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