Biography
Chicago's Avernus takes its name from the volcanic crater in Italy that Roman mythology long identified as the gateway to the underworld. The ensemble produces a deeply atmospheric fusion of doom, goth, and death metal marked by intense emotional weight. After issuing the 1995 EP Sadness and the 1997 full-length Of the Fallen, the group disbanded in 2009. Following a 2014 reunion, the band inked a deal with M-Theory Audio and finally unveiled its long-delayed third album, Grievances, in 2023.
Drawing from Paradise Lost, Dead Can Dance, and Cranes, Avernus came together in 1992 with an original roster of Richard McCoy, Rick Yifrach, Roberto Franco, Anthony Volpe, and Erik Kikke. Vocalist Kimberly Goss—who would later collaborate with Ancient, Therion, Dimmu Borgir, and Sinergy—came aboard ahead of the 1994 four-song demo/EP Sadness. That recording earned strong underground acclaim when Metal Blade licensed the track "Godlessness" for its 1995 Metal Massacre compilation, prompting MIA Records to issue the band's goth-pop-inflected debut album Of the Fallen in 1997.
After multiple personnel shifts, including James Michael (Fleshgrind, Dysphoria) stepping in for Roberto Franco, and a shift toward a more aggressive sound, Avernus entered hiatus. The members reconvened in 2014, began assembling fresh material, and entered the studio again in 2021. In 2023 they emerged with the acclaimed death-doom statement Grievances, the first of two planned releases for M-Theory Audio, the Las Vegas imprint established by longtime associate Marco Barbieri, formerly president of Century Media and Nuclear Blast.
Drawing from Paradise Lost, Dead Can Dance, and Cranes, Avernus came together in 1992 with an original roster of Richard McCoy, Rick Yifrach, Roberto Franco, Anthony Volpe, and Erik Kikke. Vocalist Kimberly Goss—who would later collaborate with Ancient, Therion, Dimmu Borgir, and Sinergy—came aboard ahead of the 1994 four-song demo/EP Sadness. That recording earned strong underground acclaim when Metal Blade licensed the track "Godlessness" for its 1995 Metal Massacre compilation, prompting MIA Records to issue the band's goth-pop-inflected debut album Of the Fallen in 1997.
After multiple personnel shifts, including James Michael (Fleshgrind, Dysphoria) stepping in for Roberto Franco, and a shift toward a more aggressive sound, Avernus entered hiatus. The members reconvened in 2014, began assembling fresh material, and entered the studio again in 2021. In 2023 they emerged with the acclaimed death-doom statement Grievances, the first of two planned releases for M-Theory Audio, the Las Vegas imprint established by longtime associate Marco Barbieri, formerly president of Century Media and Nuclear Blast.
Albums
Singles
