Shores of Null : " the Loss of Beauty"

 

I really enjoyed this Italian band's 2017 album, now they are proving to be just as hard to pin down. Musically there is a great deal in common with black metal, but the crooned vocals throw that comparison off to some extent. The growled vocals feel more death metal. The tremolo flow of guitar could also come from something pagan metal like Tyr, so a great deal is going on with some interesting melancholy passages to add to the dynamics. If you only the parts that ICS Vortex sings on with Dimmu , then this should be up your alley. If My Dying Bride has power metal aspirations despite their singer being a baritone there might be similar results. 

Then there is the more driving hard rock of "Darkness Won't Take Me" that just meets the weight requirements for what is considered metal around here. It is also a very well written song, so I prefer that more than adherence to a particular genre. Doom is an influence on this band, but I would not call them a doom band. "Nothing Left to Burn" is melodic, but trudges down a non-committal path. The pace picks up with "Old Scars" the growled vocals also make a return. There is some catchy writing that makes "A Nature in Disguise" worth listening to. Even with the band's dynamic range there is a formula in place that finds the songs beginning to run together a tad by the time I get to "My Darkest Years" which reminds of bands like Sentenced who playing gothly melodic death metal in the 90s. You can also add Hypocrisy to that list at times. 

"Fading as One" finds it's melody coasting along as the sounds that have graced our ears earlier in the album are recycled. The last song also gets heavier but is pretty middle of the road in terms of what is expected from this sort of thing. I like the first bonus track " Underwater Oddity" but not including it for the purpose of this review, as the band seems to have intended the album to be presented in the first 11 tracks. I will round it down to an 8.5, so not as solid as their first album, but still true to what they do, and it takes me back to a better time for metal. If you want some catchy melodic death metal, that places the emphasis on melody this is for you.