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Grails
Biography
Instrumental rock band Grails began in Portland, OR, in 1999 as a bedroom project never meant for the stage. Initially consisting of Alex J. Hall and Paul Spitz on guitar, Emil Amos (also of Holy Sons) on drums and guitar, Timothy Horner on violin, and William Slater on bass and keyboards, the group first used the moniker Laurel Canyon while venturing out live on a dare and producing two EPs of recorded material. By the time they had stirred up interest and landed a deal with Neurot Records, they had changed their name to Grails and Spitz had been replaced by Zak Riles. Intact was the band's focus on all-instrumental post-rock with ancient Celtic inclinations and heavily influenced by Eastern modalities, with a multi-instrumentalist role for most bandmembers. They released two albums on Neurot: The Burden of Hope in 2003 and Redlight in 2004. Both albums showcased what were basically live recordings of the young bandmembers finding their place, sometimes battling, sometimes acquiescing, but always succeeding in capturing their signature evocative and dynamic soundscapes.

That motif would eventually become more aggressive and dissonant over time, with the Celtic aspect becoming downplayed in favor of elements of prog and psychedelic, dub and experimental, perhaps due to the loss of Horner, who virtually disappeared into a life of addiction and living on the streets.
Selected Discography
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