This is the debut album from US death/doom metal band Mother of Graves.
So, here we have it then. After the very enjoyable 2021 EP In Sombre Dreams we now get to see whether that release’s promise has paid off on a full length album. Can Mother of Graves maintain the quality levels that they have already introduced us to?
Well, it’s a resounding yes.
Where the Shadows Adorn delivers 44 minutes of crushing melodic death/doom. Taking the strengths of the melodic heaviness of Katatonia and Paradise Lost‘s early work, Mother of Graves fuses this classic style with a contemporary edge that recalls bands such as Temple of Void and Hooded Menace at their best.
The songs are well-written and beautifully combine melodic doom with riff-hungry death metal. Keyboards accentuate the emotive potency of the tracks, and the band’s skill at weaving this around the music’s heavier aspects is a joy to experience. The album benefits from a song-based approach that delivers much in the way of catchiness and memorability, while still retaining plenty of room for emotive depth and atmospheric creation.
I really like the singer’s growls. As much as I like his work in Obscene, I prefer his vocals here. On these songs his voice sounds fuller, darker, rich with emotion, and deeply expressive.
These really are some high quality songs. Mother of Graves may echo the greats from the past, but they have more than enough personality of their own to be relevant in their own right.
Heavy, melodic, and downright captivating, Where the Shadows Adorn is everything I wanted from Mother of Graves. If this isn’t the underground feel-bad hit of the autumn then I don’t know what is.
Very highly recommended for any fan of the classic death/doom style.
Wonderbox Metal 