Release:
Wise Blood Records
14.10.2022
Info:
Wise Blood Records is proud to present "Where The Shadows Adorn", the new album from Melodic Death/Doom guardians MOTHER OF GRAVES. The album is a masterpiece of crushing darkness and exquisite gloom, mastered by death metal legend Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath).
Their debut EP "In Somber Dreams" received acclaim from Decibel Magazine, with Chris Dick calling it “the stuff of melodic (the dark and evil kind) legend.” Jon Rosenthal of Invisible Oranges commented, “Katatonia's lineage is felt here, but MOTHER OF GRAVES doesn't practice the art of abject mirroring. [They are] distinctly heavier, with an ear for keyboard-laden atmospherics.” The EP’s title track was also featured on the Metal Blade Records compilation Metal Massacre XV, along with Midnight, Ripped to Shreds, and Temple of Void.
Named after a mythological Latvian protector of cemeteries (Kapu māte), MOTHER OF GRAVES music honors the memory of a fallen bandmate. "Where The Shadows Adorn" explores mortality and loss in every growl and crestfallen note. Founding guitarists Chris Morrison and Ben Sandman - who also recorded and mixed the record - fill the album with mournful melodies. As Morrison summarizes, “We wanted to write songs that were more melodic, heavier, darker, and memorable.”
The result is an album that perfectly matches the stunning cover painting by Paolo Girardi. Brandon Howe’s acclaimed growls resonate with riveting dark poetry. The album is catharsis through creation. The foundation of old school death/doom is embellished with black blossoms of goth rock and evocative keyboards. Lyrically, the songs were borne from tragedy and pandemic isolation.
“Even after the world began to open back up, I still preferred and chased solitude,” Howe shares. “I didn’t mind the quiet, or the alone time, but it also made it easy to get trapped in your thoughts more often than usual. To really reflect on and face the deepest pits of the self. There became a certain comfort and familiarity in the darkness of things. I suppose you could say “Where The Shadows Adorn” was a place where I found my solace.”
Official Track Streams: Of Solitude And Stone +++ Tears Like Wine
Tracklist:
1. Where The Shadows Adorn
2. Rain
3. Tears Like Wine
4. The Emptiness Of Eyes
5. Of Solitude And Stone
6. The Crown
7. Ghost In The Twilight
8. The Caliginous Voice
Line-up:
Brandon Howe - Vocals, Keyboards
Chris Morrison - Guitar
Ben Sandman - Guitar
Corey Clark - Bass
Don Curtis - Drums
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