Review Summary: Masterful melodic death/doom
Where the Shadows Adorn essentially provides an extension of the melodic death/doom sound that Mother of Graves first debuted on their 2021 EP, In Somber Dreams. The growled vocals continue to be the band’s most defining feature, channeling the perfect balance of legibility and gumption, while the instrumentation provides a consistently melancholic overcast driven by solid mid-tempo brooding. It’s a strong foundation that is given even greater room to explore thanks to the move from EP to full-length.
Whether it be due to expanded format or stylistic steps forward, the band’s melodic elements are more pronounced here. This is perhaps made most blatant by the keyboards appearing more often, but the guitars are also more expressive, frequently giving way to quieter sections and acoustic tidbits amidst the gradually fluctuating song structures. If anything, I’m rather surprised there aren’t more clean vocal segments on here, but I suppose the band is still working up to those Draconian Times vibes.
Individual songs do well in showing the band’s varying facets while keeping to a uniform whole. “Tears like Wine” and “Of Solitude and Stone” lean the most on their gothic influences, putting extra emphasis on contemplative moods and post-punk filter effects on the strumming guitars. “The Emptiness of Eyes” and “Ghost in the Twilight” play more on the doom side, the former pairing its drawn-out opening with some extreme metal blasts while the latter’s colossal riff set dwells even deeper. The particularly bittersweet motifs on “The Crown” and “The Caliginous Voice” also stand out, their softer textures making me wonder if the band could have an earnest doom ballad somewhere in them.
Overall, Mother of Graves offers a masterful first album with Where the Shadows Adorn. As much as I would’ve loved to see an even more dramatic leap forward stylistically, the band’s death/doom approach remains cohesive while offering plenty of opportunity for future development. The length is also very well balanced, reflecting natural growth as well as a snappy pace that allows for easy absorption in lieu of more in-your-face hooks. Fans of Paradise Lost, Woods of Ypres, and Novembers Doom can consider this essential listening.
