Review: In Somber Dreams by Mother Of Graves

It seems like only a few short years ago when it was all about tech-death. In the wake of the late 2000s djent movement almost every new death metal band appearing on the scene was trying to push the boundaries of speed and technicality, whether they took any tropes from Meshuggah or not. Now though it seems the opposite is the case, and the bands at the top of the death metal scene are ones taking a slower and more solemn approach to death metal focussing more on atmosphere and melody. Bands such as Temple of Void, Spectral Voice and Hooded Menace have brought death-doom back into people's minds as a genre with far more potential than the often dreary and mundane gothic doom that it had developed into. It is at this point where we find Mother Of Graves; hailing from Indianapolis, this five piece combine sounds from across the heavy music spectrum and blend them into a style which far outstrips their genre tag.

In Somber Dreams is a fabulous four track EP that does everything a first major release should do in the traditional sense; it feels like a strong introduction and showcase of the band, but equally it sits alone as an excellent work in itself. It must be said that the production on the EP is fantastic too. The record was mastered by legendary Edge Of Sanity frontman Dan Swanö, and it makes a huge impact, managing to balance a consistent sound across the ethereal clean sections, sorrowful melodic passages and heavy death metal riffs, with the drums and bass sounding massive throughout the record. 

The opening title track begins with some Pallbearer-esque melodies before a grizzly death metal vocal enters and accompanies us through a whole host of mournful hooks. Interestingly there are some melodies and chord progressions in this song that I could hear coming from a post-metal band like Neurosis or even one of the more adept post-hardcore bands like Thursday. It's gives the track a very down to earth vibe that's quite distinct from many of the fantastical and otherworldly atmospheres often prevalent in death metal.

The following track Nameless Burial has a slightly more caustic vibe to it to begin with, the dark guitar chords enticing us in before the track propels us into some more melancholic territory through the middle section. In the final movement a glistening and slightly off-kilter piano strikes through those sour guitar chords again to give an intriguing vibe to the closing moments of the track. The Urn is an absolute banger, the opening riff is immediately catchy and the use of dynamics is fantastic. There are clean sections clashing against up-tempo riffs, Ghost style guitar melodies cutting through stomping rhythms and a vocal performance that manages to be highly emotive despite it's deep guttural nature.

The final track Deliverance begins in a similar manner to the rest of the album, and much like the previous track showcases some interesting dynamics. It moves from sinister death metal chugs into a beautiful clean section before suddenly kicking off into a moment of tech-death time-signature shattering and then again into a wonderful closing melodic passage. It's perhaps the only song here where things don't flow as naturally and the changes feel a little forced, but it's still got some killer hooks to it.

Across these four tracks I was really impressed with the fearless way in which Mother Of Graves combine sounds. There are moments here which seem to subtly nod to styles outside of the traditional death-doom palate, and the band have a great sense of structure and dynamics too which helps bring this all together. It's an addictive listen, one that can easily be left on repeat for several listens in a row and you'll never get bored. There is definitely more to come from this band, but In Somber Dreams is a highly enjoyable start from Mother Of Graves.

In Somber Dreams is released on January 8th 2021 via Wise Blood Records, but you can pre-order the album now on Bandcamp here.