This is the third album from US death/doom metal band Mother of Graves.
Mother of Graves have had an enviable run so far. Starting with their impressive debut EP In Sombre Dreams in 2021, they capitalised on this with their first full length the following year – Where the Shadows Adorn. However, it was 2024’s mighty The Periapt of Absence that really put them on the wider death/doom map. Which brings us gloomily to the 46-minute The Light That Keeps Us. Have Mother of Graves continued their ascent into the metallic heavens?
Yes, they really have. The Light That Keeps Us is probably their most atmospherically rich record. It’s an immersive powerhouse that simply keeps on giving the more you embrace its dark world.
The Light That Keeps Us opens with Wingless Soul, the band’s longest song, and it’s immediately apparent that Mother of Graves have brought their A-Game. It’s doomy, it’s despondent, it’s marvellous. It also boasts guest vocals from one Dan Swanö. Bonus. Now, opening as strongly as this would be the downfall of many other acts as quality levels inevitably drop off, but no – every song on The Light That Keeps Us offers up such a feast of death/doom mastery that the entire running time captivates.
These songs excel by combining mood and force. Layers of atmospheric worldbuilding, enriched by the morbid keyboards, deliver songs that absorb and compel. They also benefit from a meaty death metal musculature that never fails to drive them home unflinchingly. The band’s grasp of melancholic melody only seems to be getting stronger, and their songwriting is now at a point where every track speaks clearly to the emotions, while concurrently allowing the listener to bask in thunderous metal splendour.
One of the many remarkable things about The Light That Keeps Us is that it sounds so obviously reminiscent of the old-school Peaceville bands from the 90s, yet Mother of Graves have undeniably made the style their own. Within their obvious influences, they have a well-defined personality that learns the most effective lessons from the past. Whereas most bands playing this sort of thing typically come across as stale or derivative, Mother of Graves do not.
The Light That Keeps Us reeks of classic 90s quality, while also achieving the seemingly impossible feat of being its own master too. How the band have achieved this is anyone’s guess, but one can only assume dark pacts with unholy gods, or something. Either way, The Light That Keeps Us is a stunner.
Essential listening.
