Doomed Confessionary: Chris Morrison (Mother Of Graves)
Photos by Kristie Vantlin
After the success and lasting impact of their debut full-length, »Where The Shadows Adorn« (2022), Indianapolis, Indiana melodic death/doom purveyors Mother Of Graves return to the surface with a new and prolific dose of melancholy.
»The Periapt Of Absence«, set to be unleashed October 18th, 2024 by the esteemed Profound Lore Records, serves as a testament to Mother Of Graves’ evolutionary journey and steadfast dedication to crafting their profoundly personal and enthralling rendition of death/doom metal.
Highlighted by Brandon Howe’s soul crushing and poetic vocals, this offering transcends boundaries, delving even deeper into realms of melancholy and introspection than their past offerings. The album expands on Mother Of Graves’ engrossing atmospheres, crushing passages that shine light on their death metal roots, monumental hooks, and melodies that will resonate for years to come. The crushing production, provided by the band’s Ben Sandman with dynamic mastering by the legend Dan Swanö, amplifies the monumental rhythm section anchored by Don Curtis on drums and Corey Clark on bass, while illuminating the intricate guitar harmonies skillfully woven by guitarists Ben Sandman and Chris Morrison.
Through eight cathartic tales of heartache, love, and loss, Mother Of Graves beckons you to delve deep into the recesses of their dark and gloomy world.
Can you say a few words about your band?
Our band is called Mother Of Graves, and we are based out of Indianapolis, IN. We play melodic death/doom metal and have a new album coming out 10/18/2024 on Profound Lore Records. We released our first LP, »Where The Shadows Adorn«, in 2022 on Wiseblood Records.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
We have not faced any huge challenges, honestly. Finding the time to get together, all in the same room, as frequently as we’d like to is challenging I suppose. We all have families and obligations; however, it is not a huge deal as we have all been doing this for a long time. We can not rehearse together for months and then when we do get together everything clicks pretty much immediately.
What can you be most proud of so far?
Our new album, »The Periapt Of Absence«, hands down. I am very proud of our debut EP and LP as well but this new album is the best musical output I have ever been a part of, and I’ve been releasing music in bands for over 20 years. I have heard the songs on the album 1000 times, and I am still not sick of them. We reached deep into ourselves to create these deeply emotional songs, that I feel are also catchy and take you on a journey.
What was your biggest regret?
I don’t have any big regrets. We’ve had to turn down some cool show and tour offers just due to how we approach playing live with this band, but that is not really a regret as equally cool offers will come that we can say yes to. I kind of regret not being able to find a way to add these other two songs we had onto the new album. We tracked drums for 10 but had to cut two from the album due to the runtime getting too long. We’ll use them at some point in the future.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
I’d say our appearances at Decibel Metal and Beer Fest in Denver and Northwest Terror Fest in Seattle have been our biggest and best shows. Both were amazing all around. Great crowds, great staff, great bands. We don’t tour a lot, or play live much in general, so we really don’t take these festival opportunities for granted. We’ve also played some other amazing shows though, so it is hard to say what is “best”. Like our gig last year at Brimming Horn Meadery stands out in my mind as being one of the funnest shows I’ve played due to the awesome crowd, bands, and vibe in general.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
I am honestly surprised at how many people like and support our band. We play a pretty niche style of music that isn’t very popular really, but somehow way more people than I could imagine have bought our album, listened to our songs, and even write us messages about how our music has impacted their lives. It is amazing, and we do not take it for granted.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Currently I’ve been listening to a lot of Gatecreeper, Atavistic Decay, Obscene, Immortal Bird, Crypt Sermon, Void Witch, and Godthrymm. Plus there’s always a healthy dose of Edge Of Sanity, Katatonia, Paradise Lost, etc. being played around here.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
I don’t know about advice that I’ve been given; however, I do have advice I give myself that I may have been told by others or just figured out on my own. First, the song comes first. Sometimes that means cutting your favorite riff from it because it doesn’t serve the song. Second, give 110% when you play live. No one wants to watch you stand there all still and slog through a set like it’s a chore. Third, practice your parts until you can shut your brain off and play it fine. I get a lot of anxiety playing live, so practicing over and over and over again on my own has become an important routine for me.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Maybe listening to true crime podcasts and books on serial killers? I think a lot of times people forget to think about the victims and families when consuming that stuff. I try to remind myself to do so. I also really like processed American cheese.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Indianapolis / Indiana?
Indianapolis’ scene is doing pretty well these days. We have people like Dustin and his Stanger Attractions Presents promotion company booking a ton of great metal shows and the annual Heavy Hell fest that he does. Black Circle is one of the best venues we’ve played and are lucky to have it in our city. We have a ton of great bands doing awesome things like Apostle Of Solitude, Flesher, Obscene, Atavistic Decay, Veilcaste, Graveripper, and a whole lot more. It seems like there are a whole lot of younger people coming out to shows which is great. We need fresh blood to carry things on.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
They have not been announced yet, but we have an album release show booked for Indianapolis on 11/15/2024, a potential Louisville show, and also a Chicago show booked for 11/23/2024. That will be all we do in 2024, but are working on our plans for 2025.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Near future plans are to promote and support our new album. We will likely do some short tours and hopefully make some festival appearances. Longer term we will start putting together the songs for album number three. We really just want to continue to evolve as a band and write meaningful music for as long as we are inspired to do so.
How can people best support your band?
People can best support us by pre-ordering our new album from Profound Lore directly or via Bandcamp and by listening to our first single. That can all be done from HERE.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
I just want to say thank you to every last person who has bought our albums, listened to our songs, watched us play live, and supported us in every other way. Y’all are amazing.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well