Shape Of Despair - Angels Of Distress
spikefarm/spinefarm
By Graham Boyle
2nd album from these Finnish doom merchants. The bands sound is not for faint hearted, slow grinding doom, atmospheric keyoards, bleak landcapes of sounds, long songs. 5 songs spread of over 55mins, means that every SoD song is an epic, even the shortest song on the album,
opener, 'Fallen', at 5 mins!
Add to that the totally amazing vocals from Amorphis Pasi Kosinen, sounding like we've never heard him before, slow multi tracked growling, that are as powerful as they are scarey.
The two real epics are the 17 minute 'To Live For My Death' and 'Quiet The Paintings Are', both are like a slow death marches, sucking the life out of the listener, with every slow drum beat, crushing guitar riff and sombre synth sound your life slowy fades away.
The most 'uptempo' song is the closing finale of the instrumental, 'Night's Veiw'. A majestic ending to an almost perfect album.
Shape Of Despair are by no means easy listening, their one of those bands that you have to be in the right mood to enjoy.
The finest doom around, 5/5
spikefarm/spinefarm
By Graham Boyle
2nd album from these Finnish doom merchants. The bands sound is not for faint hearted, slow grinding doom, atmospheric keyoards, bleak landcapes of sounds, long songs. 5 songs spread of over 55mins, means that every SoD song is an epic, even the shortest song on the album,
opener, 'Fallen', at 5 mins!
Add to that the totally amazing vocals from Amorphis Pasi Kosinen, sounding like we've never heard him before, slow multi tracked growling, that are as powerful as they are scarey.
The two real epics are the 17 minute 'To Live For My Death' and 'Quiet The Paintings Are', both are like a slow death marches, sucking the life out of the listener, with every slow drum beat, crushing guitar riff and sombre synth sound your life slowy fades away.
The most 'uptempo' song is the closing finale of the instrumental, 'Night's Veiw'. A majestic ending to an almost perfect album.
Shape Of Despair are by no means easy listening, their one of those bands that you have to be in the right mood to enjoy.
The finest doom around, 5/5
