Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty
Shores of Null – The Loss of Beauty
Spikerot Records
Release Date: 24/03/23
Running Time: 54:54
Review by Paul Hutchings
9/10
It’s been a while since I spent time with Shores of Null. Their third album, “Beyond the Shores (On Death and Dying)” arrived in 2020 and was one of the most impressive albums of a dark year. That they have returned with an album of such quality is a testimony to the strength and style of this hugely underrated band. “The Loss of Beauty” is something to savour, an album that combines power, aggression, melancholy, melody and ethereal elements in a swirling ball of emotion. It’s safe to say at the start of this review, that if you are a fan of the likes of Amorphis and Enslaved, then the fourth full-length release from the Rome based outfit is likely to appeal.
It’s an album that works best when played in full. Sure, the songs are easily strong enough to stand on their own, but mesh them together, and the album really sings. The introduction through the one-minute ‘Transitory’ gives way to the epic ‘Destination Woe’, a song that really sets the tone for the next fifty minutes (slightly less if you don’t have the bonus tracks). It’s a blistering barrage that confronts you, submerging the listener deep into the band’s combination of driving melodic metal, soaring clean vocals and gruff, gravel-throated roars. Darkness, melancholy, it’s all-consuming but with such a groove at times you could almost dance to it!
Subject wise, Shores of Null are diving us deep into the celebration of beauty in imperfection, echoing poignant passages which cause you to pause and think. It’s a musical palette that combines a raw aggression, crushingly heavy passages, alongside soothingly calming melodies that will ease the aching heart. It’s this combination of styles that make Shores of Null one of the best bands in this captivating genre today.
Once again Shores of Null call upon guests, including Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun) and Thomas A.G. Jensen (Saturnus), along with the Elisabetta Marchetti (Inno). Their contributions play their part in an album that is simply intoxicating. The sweeping soundscapes created through songs including ‘Darkness Won’t Take Me’, ‘Nothing Left to Burn’ and the punchy ‘Old Scars’ provide a central pillar which anchors the album.
The robust approach is tempered by the acoustic melancholy of ‘First Son’, a two-minute instrumental which sees piano and strings take centre stage. It’s an emotional piece and one that surprisingly sits comfortably and works well as a break in the slightly frenetic tempo. This leads into the magnificent ‘A Nature in Disguise’, the longest song in the collection, and one just oozing with dynamic elements. It soars majestically, swooping to pick up before racing into the heavens once more.
There’s nothing to complain about on this album. The contrast created by the duo of ‘First Son’ and the closing piano of ‘Blazing Sunlight’ work in harmony rather than against the rest of the more ferocious parts of the release. Shores of Null have delivered once more, with “The Loss of Beauty” standing proudly alongside their earlier works. At times it is breath-taking. With a superb production from Marco “Cinghio” Mastrobuono (Hour Of Penance, Fleshgod Apocalypse), “The Loss of Beauty” is amongst the best of 2023. It’ll be difficult to see it dropping out of my top 20, that’s for sure.
TRACKLISTING:
01. Transitory
02. Destination Woe
03. The Last Flower
04. Darkness Won’t Take Me
05. Nothing Left to Burn
06. Old Scars
07. The First Son
08. A Nature in Disguise
09. My Darkest Years
10. Fading as One
11. A New Death Is Born
Bonus (CD and digital only)
12. Underwater Oddity
13. Blazing Sunlight
LINE-UP:
Davide Straccione – Vocals
Gabriele Giaccari – Guitars
Raffaele Colace – Guitars
Matteo Capozucca – Bass
Emiliano Cantiano – Drum
LINKS:
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