RED HOT TRACK OF THE WEEK: MOTHER OF GRAVES

Song

Through The Pale Shade

Artist

Mother Of Graves

Mother Of Graves backstory

“Mother Of Graves don’t so much write death doom as carve it from the wood of ancient oaks”. Yep, the quintet’s second offering, 2024’s The Periapt Of Absence, certainly made an impression on us. Praise was rightly lavished on a record that built on the foundations laid by its predecessor, 2022’s Where the Shadows Adorn. And in an era rich with death doom talent, it helped the Indianapolis act shine bright.

Thankfully, they decided to retain that momentum by crafting a new record, The Light That Keeps Us, with Dan Swanö behind the desk one again.

Through The Pale Shade is our first taste of that forthcoming album.

In vocalist/keyboardist Brandon Howe’s own words

“Through The Pale Shade is a lyrical tale of resilience in a faltering world and letting the hands of beauty be your uplifting guide through the darkest and most desperate pits of the self and soul.

“Instrumentally, the song bleeds a similar hope and despair within each note. We chose this song as the first single because we feel it thoroughly encapsulates the true and honest nature of our sound.

“From start to finish, it speaks well in terms of our identity that we’ve steadily grown into as a band; coalescing with our personal touches the heavy approach to things and melodies that feel dreamlike without sacrificing the wholeness of the song itself.”

The verdict on Through The Pale Shade

The Peaceville Three’s Northern gloom seeps into every note of Through The Pale Shade, as Mother Of Graves deliver elegance and despair in equal measure. But by now, would you seriously expect anything less?

Guitarists Chris Morrison and Ben Sandman weave rich tapestries around Howe’s frostbitten words, and the investment in Swanö has paid off once again: this sounds absolutely majestic, and deserves to be heard in the grandest concert halls, hopefully with a glass of velvety red in hand.