February 2025 • Volume 51 , Number 4 • www . illinoisentertainer . com
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COVER STORY : AVERNUS wenty-seven years between full-length albums for a band is a long time to wait .
But that ’ s exactly what happened to local doom metal pioneers Avernus . Formed in 1992 by drummer Rick Yifrach and guitarist / keyboardist / vocalist Rick McCoy - joined by guitarist Erik Kikke the following year ( who was only 15 years old at the time ) - there was an instant musical connection between them . Born of a steady diet of doom , death , and gothic metal influences from well-revered UK bands such as Paradise Lost , My Dying Bride , Cathedral , and Anathema - as well as being inspired by local legends Trouble - the band began to flesh out ideas that would wind up on the band ’ s 1993 debut demo A Delicate Tracery of Red .
The blueprint for doom metal is to evoke feelings of despair and melancholy while at the same time achieving cathartic results of ultimately feeling joyous again . Deep emotion and atmosphere are the main components of the genre . Oh , and the riffs have to be HEAVY . “ There was definitely an idea when we set out to do this band ,” McCoy explains . “ Rick and I had the original idea for just a project before we even figured out how each other plays . It was to do something with not a ton of blast beats ; we didn ’ t want to do anything like that . ( We wanted ) to keep it heavy , keep it dark , and keep it emotional . We were huge fans of Paradise Lost — those first two albums specifically ( Lost Paradise and Gothic ). Everything we ’ ve done has been through the lens of that it should be atmospheric , it should have emotion , and it should have feeling .”
In 2012 , after a three-year hiatus , Avernus played its reunion show at Reggie ’ s Holiday of Horror festival , which became a major proponent of reigniting the fire under the band . Following the reunion show , Avernus felt that the time was right to get back to their roots and start creating new material .
To the band ( and critics ), the new album feels highly significant , almost like a breakthrough . The writing process for Grievances took about two years , rejuvinating the band to new heights .
IE ’ s Kelley Simms spoke to the Avernus about their triumphant return .
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File
Anniversary Albums are filling for File with U2 .
CinemaScopes
Whole Lotta Love .
Spins
U2 , Storace , Nick Lowe .
Media
Eighteen seasons of Steve Wilkos .
Calendar
1200 shows and 3000 bands , it ’ s IE ’ s live music calendar .
Classifieds
Music services , musicians and more .
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Publisher John Vernon
Contributing Editors Curt Baran Tom Lanham Lori Vernon
Design Team Notion Pool Dragon Design Teknigram Graphics
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Publisher Emeritis
David Roberts Publisher John Vernon
4 illinoisentertainer . com april 2019 Contributing Editors Curt Baran Tom Lanham illinoisentertainer . com february 2025
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Senior Columnists
Rosalind Cummings-Yeates
- Sweet Home Rick Kaempfer - Media
Kelley Simms - Caught In A Mosh
David C . Eldredge - East Coast
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Contributors : Andy Argyrakis , Guy Arnston , Penelope Biver , Patrick Conlan , Deena Dasein , Jaime de ' Medici , Andy Derer , Jeff Elbel Terrence Flamm , Steve Forstneger Michael Gallucci , Michael C . Harris , Max Herman , Tom Lanham , Aubrey Vernon Carter Moss , Michael Obrecki , Greg Olma Arsenio Orteza , Rodney Pawlak , Steven Kikoen Bruce Pilato , Matthew Pollock , Jason Scales , Kelley Simms , Ed Spinelli , Riley Vernon , Tim Shockley , James Turano
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