Mother of Graves' latest single "Shatter The Visage" delves into deep emotional turmoil and aggression, blending doom and death metal with haunting melodies and raw intensity.
1. Your
latest single, "Shatter The Visage," has a very intense and personal
backstory. Brandon, can you tell us more about the emotional journey that led
to writing this track and how it reflects your state of mind during that time?
Brandon:
Just tough times mentally, is all. Many emotions went into this one, and I
tried my best to convey them through the vocal performance as always. The
lyrics grew from a period of confusion, conflicted hardship and relationship
turmoil. Battles of the mind, if you will. The song is very driving and heavy
at times with an adequate blend of melody to balance things out. I always
strive to compliment the mood of the instrumentals in each song with a fitted
aggression and story to tell.
2.
"Shatter The Visage" is described as your most aggressive track on
the album. What was the band's approach in balancing that aggression with your
signature melodic and doom-laden sound?
Chris: All
of us have backgrounds in playing more aggressive styles of metal, so the
influence and style is bound to creep in at times. I think you’ll find some
elements of that on each of our releases, so the balance part really isn’t
something we think about much; however, as we were writing this song I felt
that it called for the more aggressive riff at the beginning. We wanted it to
have a bit of an old Edge of Sanity vibe to it, which I think we pulled off.
Also, our more aggressive moments are ways to musically present the feelings of
frustration and anger. I know I have consciously written some of them that
way.
3. The
video for "Shatter The Visage" adds a visual layer to the song’s
themes of despair and emotional crossroads. How involved were you in the
creative process for the video, and what message did you hope to convey with
it?
Brandon:
Our good friend David Jagger (known very well for his musical and visual work
in his bands Sacred Leather and Flesher) helped us bring this idea to life. We
mostly left the video work in his hands, as he had a pretty clear vision of
what he wanted and what he thought was appropriate for the song. We just showed
up and did our part and let the rest unfold naturally on his side. We
envisioned everything almost exactly how he did. So it was a resounding and
collective “yes” when we saw the final product. The imagery, the mood, that
“classic” vibe, the black and white dismality.. couldn’t have turned out
better! I wouldn’t say there was really a message to convey. Just an immersive
experience.
4. The
Periapt of Absence is said to be your most significant material to date. How
did the band approach writing this album, and what themes or concepts were most
important to explore across the tracks?*
Chris: Yea
to me the significance is that we matured as songwriters in my opinion. I feel
like we were still figuring out who we were on our ep and first album. We
improved our approach to melody and knowing where songs needed room to breathe.
As far as our approach to writing it, we just knew we wanted it to be bigger,
more majestic, and just have songs that were interesting to our own ears
throughout. This is the only album I’ve been a part of that I still am not sick
of listening to even after having heard it 1,000 times. As far as concepts and
themes, we just want the songs to be an emotional journey. Mostly dark and
sorrowful throughout, but we definitely include parts that are to represent the
glimmers of light and hope through the darkness and despair. Listeners will
hopefully be able to pick those sections out.
5. Your
music has a deep connection with themes of sorrow, loss, and introspection. How
do you find the balance between expressing such heavy emotions while still
creating music that resonates with listeners on a melodic level?
Brandon: I think both of them go relatively hand in hand, so it isn’t too hard. The songs always begin instrumentally in a very somber tone and bloom into a perfect setting for me to ice the cake, so to speak. It all comes together as it should in the end. As a group, everyone simply gets it. We always keep in mind those records that still resonate with us to this day and understand what needs done to really be an impactful piece of work for years to come. Personal work always seems to ripple the waters with listeners, because a lot of the time, we all experience things along similar roads. We all experience pain. We all go through our fair share of sorrows and bleed the same blood. Music like this, to put it simply, is soothing.. as depressing as it can be. It’s like a warm blanket or a hand on the shoulder saying “you’re not alone”.
6. Ben
Sandman played a key role in producing this record, while Dan Swanö handled the
mastering. What was it like working with both of them, and how did they help
shape the overall sound of The Periapt of Absence?
Chris: I’ve been friends with Ben for decades and watching him grow as a producer and engineer has been so awesome. He is extremely talented and has an attention to detail that I’ve never seen before with anyone else, plus his ear is just so damn good. Working with Ben in the studio is so easy. I can try to explain an idea I want to try (usually very poorly,haha), and he somehow knows how to make it happen exactly how it sounds in my head. It’s amazing honestly. He has been a huge part of our overall sound by making everything huge and clean, yet not sound like overproduced garbage. We are lucky to have Ben around to handle production duties. As far as Dan goes, he is just a delight to work with. He knows our sound really well as he was involved in so many of our collective favorite and inspirational albums. He has the ear and tools to take Ben’s great production and just make those minor adjustments to make the album sound so warm and punchy. He’s also so easy to work with and a very kind person.
7. As a
band, MOTHER OF GRAVES blends doom and death metal elements
in a very distinctive way. Can you tell us about the influences or inspirations
that have shaped your sound over the years?
Chris: We
all have a lot of diverse influences and inspiration among us, but for this
band we started out wanting to do something similar to the Peaceville 3, early
Katatonia, early Tiamat, etc. Edge of Sanity’s sound is also a big influence.
There’s also a lot of non-metal influence with us too. Everything from grunge
to rock to early/mid-nineties emotional hardcore. If you listen closely you may
be able to pick up on some of that stuff. As I mentioned, we all have pasts in
some pretty heavy death metal projects so what we end up playing is really just
us doing what we love in our own way.
8.
Brandon’s vocals have been described as soul-crushing and poetic. How do you
approach lyric writing and vocal performance to ensure the emotional weight of
the songs comes through effectively?
Brandon: I
write straight from the heart. These are real emotions regarding real points in
my life that were at their darkest, and it was my only way out. It’s a feeling
of freedom in a way. A purging of ghosts. A burning of bridges and leaving the
grime on the other end. It’s pure catharsis and a therapy for me. My writings
begin mostly poetic or in forms of cluttered rambling. Once we start
solidifying the instrumental foundations of these songs, I start taking them
and working them rhythmically to fit. Sometimes I have to reword things to fit
vocal patterns better, reorganize, and make things make a little more sense in
the grand scheme of things. It’s a fairly smooth process, though - once you get
through the inevitable battles of writerdom.
9.
You’ve been praised for the monumental hooks and guitar harmonies on the album.
Chris and Ben, can you talk about your guitar interplay and how you work
together to craft these intricate, melancholic melodies?
Chris: It
is really quite simple in that we usually just come up with a bit of a guitar
lead melody we like and go from there. These guitar melodies are often the
backbone of our songs, so we want them to be ear worms as much as possible. We
often write together so we will experiment with harmonies until we find the
right sound, and we always want the guitar playing to be interesting without
being overly technical or a shred fest. You’ll notice that it is very rare when
Ben and I are playing the same things at the same time.
10. Your
live shows are known to be immersive experiences. With two record release shows
planned for November, what can fans expect from your live performance,
especially with the new material from The Periapt of Absence?
Brandon:
We try our best to always leave it all on stage for any show we’re gifted the
chance to play. We don’t play out a lot, and we don’t do extensive touring. We
try to make every one of our shows special and worth it. Taking time to
rehearse effectively and ensure the listeners/watchers a quality performance.
We can promise you a night to remember. You’ll just have to come and see for
yourself.
11. Doom
and death metal are genres that have always dealt with dark and emotional
themes, but in today's world, there seems to be a deeper resonance with these
subjects. How do you see your music reflecting or responding to the current
emotional landscape of society?
Brandon:
Like I stated before, I think it’s all very relative with what we experience in
life and society. Everything is a subjective excursion to the listener. What it
means to one, could mean something completely different to another, but ultimately
is impactful one way or another. I think the genres in their extremity and
heaviness provide a bit of solace and peace in the chaotic times we’re living
in. It’s like a little getaway from reality in a world we create and
control.
12.
Looking ahead, how do you hope The Periapt of Absence will impact both existing
fans and new listeners? What do you hope people take away from this album as
they delve into its depths?
Brandon:
Only time will tell, my friend. We put a lot of ourselves into these songs and
it’s always tough to gauge an expectation for when it goes out into the world.
All I can add to that is; we can only hope that others take to it and enjoy the
ride. Maybe you’ll feel something. That’s up to you. Cheers and thanks for
listening/reading!
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