Richard HolmesMother Of Graves – The Periapt Of Absence (Profound Lore Records)
Mother Of Graves don’t so much write death doom as carve it from the wood of ancient oaks. Their work lingers in autumn gloom. It is beautiful, mournful and for such a heavy band, exquisitely delicate.
With their 2022 debut, Where the Shadows Adorn, the Indianapolis act took their place alongside Worm, Dream Unending and Temple Of Void, as a new wave of death doom sculptors took root.
Their first album reeked of The Peaceville Three, and bore a glacial chill akin to prime Katatonia.
It gave us towering, melancholic monoliths such as Tears Like Wine.
It was one hell of a way to start.
The Periapt Of Absence, however, surpasses its predecessor on many levels.
Yes, the band’s sombre essence is intact, but new shoots have sprouted from the cemetery soil. Shatter the Visage, a former Rushonrock track of the week, is testimony to that evolution. Raging rivers of death lead to cascades of glistening melodies, and intricate, swirling fretwork. Its near-six minute journey feels like an album in itself, such is its time warping qualities. And with guitarist Ben Sandman teaming up with studio overlord Dan Swanö on the production, the track – like the rest of this record, sounds majestic.
The title track is similarly dramatic: the listener is submerged in abyssal atmospherics, while Brandon Howe’s growl is countered by sublime violin work and ghostly spoken word passages.
But for all Mother Of Graves’ innate grasp of death doom’s architecture – and As The Earth Fell Silent is a towering edifice – it’s the pinpoint songwriting that truly stands out. The dazzling Upon Burdened Hands, for instance, hooks you as well as any Paradise Lost classic and the driving Gallows pulses like the undead heart of 80s Goth.
Masters of their craft, Mother Of Graves have birthed a very special record.
Band photo: Kristie Vantlin.
