Griefeater was conceived in the Fall of 2021 in Chicago, IL as a shoegaze project. The project began with the four members sharing influences on a collaborative playlist (including Hum, Midwife and Nothing), and from there Griefeater developed. In the past four years Griefeater has strayed from being just another shoegaze band, continuously honing their sound. Their two self-produced EPs served as foundational surveying exercises, leaning into hallmark sounds of the 2010s emo and shoegaze revivals, but earned attention for their penchant for infusing elements of screamo and black metal.

In 2024, Griefeater leveled up with their single Bottom of the Well, partnering up with Seth Beck (The Fever Haze, Greet Death) for the recording. Bottom of the Well presents Griefeater in widescreen, revealing new depths of dense distortion, counterweighted by spacious atmosphere, and a doubling down on metallic heft.

Now in 2025, Griefeater return with their debut full-length, Worn, teaming up again with Beck for the production. Worn is Griefeater's most definitive production to date, representing the latest evolution of the band’s sound in a time of deep introspection. Singer/bassist Lukas Skucas says of the record's lyrical content “This album is about feeling older, loving your friends more, and trying to do something every day.”

From the start of writing the record Griefeater was determined to stand out, setting a rule that no reference tracks be played at practices, relying only on the group's collective instincts. Worn tracks buzz with energy in the record's first half. Valentine and Half Past, will have those expecting indulgent pedal ogling choking on dust. The dirge-y and death obsessed Casket singes the skin with Erik Gleim’s fiery trem picked leads. In Worn’s second half Griefeater navigates dynamic territory aside from crushing distortion; devoting attention to aching ballads (Weekdays), Slowcore meditations (The Trouble With Being Born), and on-a-dime shifts to blackened blast beats (Walk The Streets).

Lead Single “Evelyn” is the first look into Worn, Griefeater’s clearest statement to date. Skucas’ vocals are heard from the void as Evelyn rises. Clean guitars are counterweighted with screams and the continuous post-rock-like build culminates with a breakdown that projects the doom heard in the lyrics. The distortion forebodes, looming like a tidal wave until it crashes down with the pain stricken wails of "Don't want you anymore,” the jagged debris washed ashore at Evelyn’s end.

Griefeater’s debut album Worn is out December 5th, 2025.

— Words by Blake Correll