Your Shapeless Beauty My Swan Song
Adipocere Records CDAR068 2003
By Russell Garwood
Your Shapeless Beauty are an interesting French band who play downcast melodic death metal; a sound showcasing occasional symphonics, female vocals and samples marks them apart from many similar groups. Occasional acoustic sections with speech ring of doom, and the melodic guitar lines can show black metal influences.
The vocals are reasonably varied; often relying upon a semi-guttural death growl, they nevertheless utilise speech and some fragile but effective singing, as well as occasional effects-laden vox in the more electronically-biased tracks. Female singing is used to good effect, helping build more atmospheric sections, while keyboards play a similar role - at times using classical orchestration to create bombastic melodies, and at others electronics, which give a more contemporary edge. The guitars also show diversity, long wailing, atmospheric lines dominate at times, with melodic yet technical riffage coming to the fore at others. Acoustics are another welcome addition, helping to keep the music interesting and, along with instrumental keyboard passages, providing more breaks from the metallic onslaught. The drums are well-performed, using fills and changes in time and atmosphere to keep them interesting, while very rarely relying on blasts. This leaves the powerful bass, which completes a competent rhythm section.
In conclusion, You Shapeless Beauty are an impressive collective. Solid song-writing and instrumental performances, as well a varied, reasonably original music make for good listening, and My Swan Song holds the listeners interest throughout. Standout tracks include Wolves Are Not Yours for the well-placed Fight Club samples, and Ill Be Your Shadow God for its ever-changing atmospheres.
Adipocere Records CDAR068 2003
By Russell Garwood
Your Shapeless Beauty are an interesting French band who play downcast melodic death metal; a sound showcasing occasional symphonics, female vocals and samples marks them apart from many similar groups. Occasional acoustic sections with speech ring of doom, and the melodic guitar lines can show black metal influences.
The vocals are reasonably varied; often relying upon a semi-guttural death growl, they nevertheless utilise speech and some fragile but effective singing, as well as occasional effects-laden vox in the more electronically-biased tracks. Female singing is used to good effect, helping build more atmospheric sections, while keyboards play a similar role - at times using classical orchestration to create bombastic melodies, and at others electronics, which give a more contemporary edge. The guitars also show diversity, long wailing, atmospheric lines dominate at times, with melodic yet technical riffage coming to the fore at others. Acoustics are another welcome addition, helping to keep the music interesting and, along with instrumental keyboard passages, providing more breaks from the metallic onslaught. The drums are well-performed, using fills and changes in time and atmosphere to keep them interesting, while very rarely relying on blasts. This leaves the powerful bass, which completes a competent rhythm section.
In conclusion, You Shapeless Beauty are an impressive collective. Solid song-writing and instrumental performances, as well a varied, reasonably original music make for good listening, and My Swan Song holds the listeners interest throughout. Standout tracks include Wolves Are Not Yours for the well-placed Fight Club samples, and Ill Be Your Shadow God for its ever-changing atmospheres.
