Woe was created in 2007 by multi-instrumentalist Chris Grigg with a simple goal: raw, melodic black metal without frills, extreme technique, or gimmicks. An early demo and 7″ caught the ear of the underground American scene, leading to the release of the first full-length A Spell for the Death of Man on independent label Stronghold Records in 2008. Still a solo project, Chris and Woe impressed critics and listeners with its blend of traditional black metal and echos of the DIY punk and post-hardcore scenes in which Chris grew up.　 　　Woe began in 2007 as a solo project of Chris Grigg, who wrote and recorded the Absinthe Invocation demo as well as a split 7" with Infernal Stronghold. In 2008, Stronghold Records released A Spell for the Death of Man, a full-length album again written and recorded entirely by Grigg. Over the next two years, Grigg recruited additional musicians—including Evan Madden (drums) and Shane Madden (bass) of Woods of Ypres—to perform live shows and write new songs. Woe signed to Candlelight Records in 2010 and released their follow-up album Quietly, Undramatically.[1] In 2011 came a tour of the U.S. west coast and a tour with Mayhem. 2011 and 2012 also brought lineup changes, including the departure of Evan Madden and Shane Madden and their replacement with Ruston Grosse on drums and Grzesiek Czapla on bass guitar. Their third album, Withdrawal, was released by Candlelight Records on April 23, 2013 followed by tours of the United States and Europe.