Fallen into shadowy departure and left to dream of their own poignant demise from eight dimly lit angles the despairing ails put forth by Indianapolis, Indiana-based melodic death/doom metal quintet MOTHER OF GRAVES‘ third full-length album speak to grief, depressive torment and the surrender of affection on the glowing drift through. Styled impeccably just beyond the bounds of mid-90’s melodic death/doom and elevated via a handful of atmospheric tangents ‘The Light That Keeps Us‘ distinguishes itself from well-plumbed territory per the band’s grasp of not only sub-genre sounds but their intended design: An evocative melodic focus. The end result will undoubtedly ping familiarity within the depressive melodic doom metal scholar via aesthetics alone yet it is their songcraft which sets this work one resolute step beyond pure reference.

Conceived through aggrievance-linked listening habits and channeled into song(s) Mother of Graves officially assembled circa 2019 between folks best known for death metal bands Harakiri, Summon the Destroyer and Obscene. Guitarist Chris Morrison, and soon after guitarist/engineer Ben Sandman aimed for their own take on 90’s melodic death/doom inspiration per the mid-decade gothic/dark metal tendencies of the niche (Katatonia, October Tide, My Dying Bride et al.) and the generations inspired beyond. Though they were initially lost in the uptick of “Peaceville three” inspired death/doom in the post-pandemic era a particularly fine debut LP (‘Where the Shadows Adorn‘, 2022) earned quick praise for its sharper-studied craft, providing a sonic template they’ve expanded upon within each album since.

In review of Mother of Graves‘ second LP (‘The Periapt of Absence‘, 2024) I’d been impressed by the inventive, often busied level of creative torsion they’d wrung from their entirely prime melodic death/doom referential sound but with a rise in complexity of statement there’d been less of an emotional weight applied. It remains an above-average record but it’d vaguely echoed the diminishing returns of the sub-genre niche in the early 2000’s wherein gothic dramatism and prog-adjacent innovation lost the immediacy of the melodic hook. So, in emphasizing the luxury of self-production (via Sandman) and their intent to focus on songcraft the quintet suggest they’ve taken their time ensuring ‘The Light That Keeps Us‘ cuts deep with comparatively straight forward melodicism, achieving emotional gravitas before entangling the plot of any given piece.

Sticking closer to the ~4-5 minute mark for the majority of its eight song ~46 minute duration ‘The Light That Keeps Us‘ is no more-or-less concise as an experience beyond ‘The Periapt of Absence‘ but they’ve done well to bookend the full listen with longer pieces. Album opener “Wingless Soul” comparatively offers a double-length expanse in the midst of its feature of Dan Swanö‘s remarkable guest spot and ‘Rain Without End‘-esque reveal in its final third, a stellar highlight which sets the tone and temperament for the full listen outright. It’d be a stretch to suggest that Mother of Graves‘ past work lacked this level of dynamism but it quickly becomes clear they’ve focused on juicing their best ideas rather than piling them up too thickly, making for a more evocative melodic doom experience outright.

To the seasoned ear the immediate effect of ‘The Light That Keeps Us‘ should be nostalgic via a series of familiar sonic tropes and arrangements of a certain era/fandom, particularly the lead-driven focus on melody which persists for the majority of its duration. The wordy Baudelaire-esque lyrics from vocalist Brandon Howe likewise meet a similar exaggerative décadence apropos standard wherein the point of view is either internalized, self-illustrative, or directed at a beloved and/or detested other. The combined effect is warmly ethereal but bleak in perspective, and to the point that even an uplifting note could just as easily be received as romanticized passage into death rather than liberation. “Through the Pale Shade” and especially standout “The Silent Weight of the Stars” both offer a fine example of all of these wires crossing the familiar with their own poetic dramatism cranked high.

Beyond the increasingly dimmed spirits of Side A “The Silent Weight of the Stars” is potentially the album seller on my part, not the first song to bleed of ‘Brave Murder Day‘ blood on the album but the one to best exemplify the successful slight pivot Mother of Graves have accomplished in the interim. Beyond that point Side B hardly lightens up as heavier tunneled punchers like “The Beggars Allegory” and the starry-eyed Sisyphean gloom of closer “The Endless Climb” build toward a peaking sensation of torment while incorporating more piano/keyboard along the way; Not every song here is a total ear-worming hit outright but the downward flowing moodiness of the album felt as composed, contained in its vision as some of the old classics and this is where I’d felt ‘The Light That Keeps Us‘ excels beyond the band’s two prior full-lengths.

Though they’ve potentially more steps to take down this tunnel unto their own Mother of Graves manage to graduate beyond adapting melodic death/doom metal sound/style into motion toward authorship, introducing their own emotive potential in the process. Already a step ahead of the usual early-to-mid 90’s dark melodic death/doom metal tribute the level of investment, personal and professional, from the band here speaks loudly through their craft… and likewise the curation therein be it the glassy don’t-touch-anything production values or the album/booklet artwork (via Larisa Brechun) which is appropriately evocative per its sepia-graded dimness. Very few records in this style manage to leave a dent anymore but for the existing fandom ‘The Light That Keeps Us‘ should appear as a rare beacon and likewise hold some staying power thanks to their ability to embody the auld ideal and press on with it a few steps beyond imitation. A high recommendation.

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