Mother of Graves – In Somber Dreams (Review)

This is the debut EP from US death/doom metal band Mother of Graves.

In Somber Dreams contains 19 minutes of old-school melodic death/doom. The promo blurb mentions bands such as Katatonia, Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, Cloak, and Khemmis, and these serve as suitable reference points, especially the first two.

The songs are better written, delivered, performed, and produced than you’d probably expect from a band taking their first tentative steps into the world. Shockingly so, really. The guitars are heavy and thick with riffs and steamroller groove. Bleak melodies set scenes of melancholic despondency and craft evocative soundscapes. Deep growled vocals are monstrous enough to deliver macabre horror, yet legible enough to have a human edge, (there’s also clean singing on the title track, which is powerfully delivered). The music combines atmospheric darkness with instant appeal really well, and each track is very well-realised and complete.

In Somber Dreams is gooood. It really takes me back to the early 90s, but without sacrificing relevance to the present day. In fact, I like how these songs are extremely reminiscent of that era, and in particular of early Paradise Lost and Katatonia, while still showing a personality that belongs to Mother of Graves alone. Given the source material, this is no mean feat.

I urge you to check out In Somber Dreams. It’s short, but extremely meaty, and almost guaranteed to leave you feeling satisfied.

Very highly recommended.