I received a Mother of Graves shirt through the Metalhead Box a while back and whenever I get a shirt from them I’ll check out the band (most of the time it’s bands I’ve never heard of).  Which brings me to the new album from these Indianapolis purveyors of monumental Death/Doom.

The Periapt of Absence is the second album following the accolades laden first album Where the Shadows Adorn. When an album speaks to me I’ll listen to it on repeat all day, which is exactly what I did and my fucking God this album drips emotion, it’s like a trip into the mind of a person dealing with incredible loss. I found myself being drawn into the suffering and ruminating on my own losses.

It all starts with “Gallows” and it’s here that my ears picked up some My Dying Bride impressions, this song rocks hard; Don Curtis is a beast behind the kit and a human metronome; and on “Shatter the Visage” it’s the work of Chris Morrison – guitar, and Ben Sandman – guitar that conjure up the most killer riffing, with a solo that worms into your mind and shreds it to bits.

“A Scarlet Threnody” goes hard on the Doom, it’s an earth moving track with some gorgeous guitar work and the coolest lyric “at the throat of the world I kneel” and then it fucking swings with this killer hard rocking beat. The thing I love most about The Periapt of Absence is how they bring different styles together while maintaining a solid footing in the Death Metal realm.

“Apparition” is one of my favorite tracks, it just goes for the throat with fury, a brilliant shift from raging power to some utterly mesmerizing keys and it’s a Doom back to back with the title track bringing a big Candlemass feeling, right around the 3:33 mark; it’s another great moment that Mother of Graves throws at you.

The arrangement of the songs is used to maximum effect, the production is stellar, bringing more weight to the album, from the press release: The crushing production work of The Periapt Of Absence, provided by the band’s Ben Sandman with dynamic mastering by the legend Dan Swanö, amplifies the monumental rhythm section anchored by drummer Don Curtis and bassist Corey Clark, while illuminating the intricate guitar harmonies skillfully woven by guitarists Ben Sandman and Chris Morrison.

DAN FUCKING SWANÖ! The guy is a legend in so many ways and his hands are all over The Periapt Of Absence.

“As the Earth Fell Silent” brings more of a solid Death Metal monster with some crushing double bass near the end. “Upon Burdened Hands” is a huge, My Dying Bride circa Turn Loose the Swans and even Paradise Lost around Gothic era. “Like Darkness to a Dying Flame” is the massive closing track and when I say massive, I mean the shelf clouds leading up to a brutal storm filled with tornadoes and death guaranteed.

The bottom line, down to the bone marrow: The Periapt of Absence is raw emotion laid bare, a blood eagle of sorrow. Mother of Graves have created an album so incredibly good that it deserves your attention, constant reader. This is a record you need in your collection.

[Visit the band's website]

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