A few questions - interview with doom death metal band from Australia - GRAVES FOR GODS.
Ave, can you introduce your band to our readers? – When was it founded and what style of music do you play etc.?
Matt – Hi! We are Graves for Gods. Purveyors of all things Doom, from Adelaide in the South of Australia, since 2020. We consist of three members: Jak on vocals, Matt on guitars and bass, Ryan on drums. In 2022 we released our debut album‚ The Oldest Gods, on Sleeping Church Records, and now in 2026 we‘ve released its follow up, Last Light Fades, on Meuse Music.
Where and under what conditions were you recording the new album? Who was in charge of sound, production and mastering?
Matt – The vocals were recorded at Jaks home, the drums at a local recording room, while the rest was recorded, produced and mixed by myself at my home studio. Mastering was by Dav at Iridium audio. We’re thrilled with the end result. Ideally it sounds neither modern nor dated. Not processed, but not raw. We’re not trying to copy any single sound. I think we got close to these aspirations.
How many copies were released and which medium was used for this new edition (CD, digital, vinyl, cassette)?
Matt – Initially 300 cds (i think), plus digital via bandcamp and the streamers . If there’s demand we will work with Meuse Music on further formats. Hopefully so! We’d love this album on vinyl. It would be great to see that cover art at 12 inches.
Who is the author of the lyrics and how were they created and about what do the lyrics deal with?
Jak - Lyrics are by me and the song titles are chosen as a band. The lyrical approach of Graves For Gods thus far has remained close to the name of the band and centred around worship. Like most creative processes, much time was spent thinking over what to write about and how to say it. It wasn’t easy to cover such a wide history of events in the span of only 4 songs. As with “The Oldest Gods” there is a start and an end to the story of this album. Once again, the lyrics deal with the rise and fall of an empire, at times viewed through a large overarching lens and at other times through the eyes of its denizens. In its most concise sense, it’s a story about the Roman Empire. Perpetua Fell sets the scene that tackles the scale of the rise of Rome from fable to the moment the Roman Emperor realised the need to change their beliefs and begin engineering Christianity as we know it in the
West. Dark Ages in concept was to about European Medieval life and the ensuing Crusades however “Covered in Blood” covered themes of war so Dark Ages lingered a while in a land of plague, power and control. Unholy Ghost kind of sums up the ambitious nature of colonisation and belief of a dream. Last Light Fades really speaks for itself, the album cover depicts themes of shame, disgrace and the loss of faith.
Who created the logo of the band, and who took care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks? Do you consider these things important?
Jak - The logo was created by me, which was inspired by the Sumerian beliefs, the symbol of Anu is incorporated in the sky, encompassing the trees & earth - the connection between earth and sky. We don’t have a website as such but we understand the importance of having an online presence or footprint so to say. You can currently find us either on bandcamp, our labels website or our Facebook page that we operate ourselves. All the graphics on these sites are chosen by either us or Meuse Records, depending on where you visit.
Which label did you choose for releasing your album and why this label? Are you satisfied by how your label represents you and takés care about you?
Matt - Meuse Music has been our partners for the CD release of Last Light Fades. We sought them out as they are of course experts in the Doom genres. We are absolutely very happy with how they’ve approached everything. Strong communication, plenty of options and very few demands. Very impressed.
Which bands do you idolise and where do you get your inspiration?
Jak - From a death doom perspective, its all the early UK Doom but by no means limited to those shores. Inspiration will come from so many places, could be a simple as going for a walk in a gorge. I tend to write most of the lyrics while walking outdoors.
Matt – We listen to a crazy amount of different music, but for Graves for Gods, it’s absolutely a mix of the early UK Doom legends, plus everything from the great funeral and stoner doom acts, more spacious and progressive acts like Third and the mortal and of course Black Sabbath themselves.
Did you send your record to some Labels - which are the labels? How was the response?
N/A
How many gigs have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether it's (clubs or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
Matt – Sadly we are currently a recording only band. If the opportunity arises for something special, we would definitely be open to a select few live performances. But currently no.
What about your plans for the future? What do you want to achieve with the band?
Matt - We are currently writing album 3, and exploring some other material for a series of bandcamp exclusive releases. Our primary focus is to just keep recording the music we love and sharing it with people who need it. Always releasing on physical media where possible. Hopefully our future is one of endless inspiration and musical prolification.
How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?
https://gravesforgods.bandcamp.com/ is the best option please.
Thanx for the interview.
Matt - You’re very welcome. We’re grateful for your time.
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