Abysmal Grief were born in 1995 by guitarist Regen Graves who was followed after some changes of line-up, by bass player Lord Alastair and singer Garian, together with a drummer fired after the realization of a promo demotape in 1996. Abysmal Grief play a misfitic kind of Doom-Horror Metal very influenced by the Doom-Rock of the early '70s and united to the Necromantical obsessions of the guitarist and leader Regen Graves, who managed to turn every show in a Horror representation of Occult ritualism, made of coffins, hanged dolls, blood and every sort of mourning objects.
In late1996 the vocalist and organist Labes C. Necrothytus joined Abysmal Grief, and after a long period in which the band used a drum-machine, the first official demo tape Funereal was produced (December 1997) , followed by grim and extreme gigs in which the band was helped by the session-drummer Lord of Fog, until the first months of 1999, when, after the record of a new song Invocation for the compilation Into the Underground Vol.3 of Whiplash Prod., Graves and Necrothytus changed radically the line-up of Abysmal Grief and were supported by three session musicians, with whom it was recorded the cover Black Mummy for the Death SS tribute edited by Black Widow Records.
This period was characterized by a great number of problems, due to the incapacity to find good musicians who could support the musical project of Graves and Necrothytus, and the band never managed to play gigs or record anything new.
However, in November 1999 Lord Alastair came together again with the band and Regen Graves took the decision to play drum himself: it is considered as the rebirth of the true Abysmal Grief, and the band soon entered into the studio to record the CD-Single Exsequia Occulta, that was officially released in May 2000, after many problems of productions
This single got a great success in the underground scene, and the danish labell Horror Rec. soon contacted Abysmal Grief for a deal of distribution and production. Even if Abysmal Grief didn't manage to play on stage, "Exsequia Occulta" was well distributed in the world, and it allowed the band to record a new 7" single called "Hearse" (finally out now): it is produced and distributed by Horror Rec. and available in 666 copies limited edition on coloured vinyl.
Now the new drummer William Blissett joined Abysmal Grief for the preparation of some concerts and for the realization of the split 7" "Creatures From The Grave" with Tony Tears, and the band has now entered into the studio for the recording sessions of the full-lenght, available in November 2005 on Black Widow rec.
The concept of the music of Abysmal Grief is based on the medianic relations with the World Beyond and the inner spiritual research by the divination of the deceased. The deep contemplation of the Funereal mysticism, far from every kind of religious conviction and united to a serious and objective interpretation of occult texts, provide the starting point for the draft of the lyrics: short novels inspired also by the interest in the Horror cinematography and literature. Consequently the music becomes the soundtrack of the story, and it has the purpose to bring the listener inside the narrated scene.
Source : http://www.abysmalgrief.com/story.htm
