Where the Shadows Adorn

Wise Blood Records is proud to present "Where the Shadows Adorn," the new album from Melodic Death/Doom guardians Mother of Graves. The album is a masterpiece of crushing darkness and exquisite gloom, mastered by death metal legend Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath).

Their debut EP In Somber Dreams received acclaim from Decibel Magazine, with Chris Dick calling it “the stuff of melodic (the dark and evil kind) legend.” Jon Rosenthal of Invisible Oranges commented, “Katatonia's lineage is felt here, but Mother of Graves doesn't practice the art of abject mirroring. [They are] distinctly heavier, with an ear for keyboard-laden atmospherics.” The EP’s title track was also featured on the Metal Blade Records compilation Metal Massacre XV, along with Midnight, Ripped to Shreds, and Temple of Void.

Named after a mythological Latvian protector of cemeteries (Kapu māte), Mother of Graves' music honors the memory of a fallen bandmate. "Where the Shadows Adorn" explores mortality and loss in every growl and crestfallen note. Founding guitarists Chris Morrison and Ben Sandman—who also recorded and mixed the record—fill the album with mournful melodies. As Morrison summarizes, “We wanted to write songs that were more melodic, heavier, darker, and memorable.”

The result is an album that perfectly matches the stunning cover painting by Paolo Girardi. Brandon Howe’s acclaimed growls resonate with riveting dark poetry. The album is catharsis through creation. The foundation of old school death/doom is embellished with black blossoms of goth rock and evocative keyboards. Lyrically, the songs were borne from tragedy and pandemic isolation.

“Even after the world began to open back up, I still preferred and chased solitude,” Howe shares. “I didn’t mind the quiet, or the alone time, but it also made it easy to get trapped in your thoughts more often than usual. To really reflect on and face the deepest pits of the self. There became a certain comfort and familiarity in the darkness of things. I suppose you could say “Where the Shadows Adorn” was a place where I found my solace.”

Mother of Graves release "Where the Shadows Adorn" on October 14th with Wise Blood Records. The album will be available on Vinyl, CD, Cassette Tape, and Digital.
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"If this isn't the underground feel-bad hit of the autumn then I don't know what is." - Wonderbox Metal

"Where the Shadows Adorn is an instant classic...this will have you drenched to the bone in solemn atmosphere, mournful melodies, introspective interludes, and massive riffs." - Deaf Forever

"I was waiting for the rain and for the sun to be blotted out of the sky as soon as I started this." - Necrotic Nick, Thralls of Metal

"Where The Shadows Adorn strikes an immaculate balance between subdued and straightforwardness. As a hybrid metal act, Mother of Graves' relationship with both visceral death metal passages and ethereal doom has been prioritized, and they've discovered a dichotomy that employs both sides of their sound as their peak." - Brandon Nurick, Invisible Oranges

"There’s a directness (not aggression) at play with Mother of Graves that complements the group’s marche funèbre. Perhaps it’s the occasional Edge of Sanity barrage (as inspired by stateside legends of yore) or maybe it’s the streetwise grit that underpins everything on offer that sets the group apart. Either way, it rules." Chris Dick, Decibel Magazine