Shape of Despair
Shape of Despair · 2005
63 min · 7 tracks · doom metal
A haunting blend of oppressive riffs and ethereal melodies creates a soundscape that evokes deep sorrow and introspective contemplation.
Top tracks — play these first
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Sleeping Murder — The opening track sets the tone with its extended duration and layered instrumentation, merging despairing lyrics with a haunting atmosphere that encapsulates the band's signature style.
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Quiet These Paintings Are / Outro — As the closing track, it masterfully intertwines ambient elements with emotional weight, showcasing the band’s ability to create a profound sense of finality and reflection.
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Shadowed Dreams — This track features a powerful build-up of sonic textures, blending guttural growls with melodic passages that highlight the emotional depth and complexity found throughout the album.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album's heavy riffs and ethereal melodies create a distinct soundscape that resonates within the doom metal genre.
What we noticed
- The album features lengthy tracks, with most exceeding seven minutes, allowing for gradual build-ups and extended instrumental passages.
- Riffs are heavily distorted and layered, creating a dense wall of sound that contrasts with the sparse, ethereal melodies interspersed throughout.
- Vocals are predominantly growled, but moments of clean singing emerge, often harmonizing with the instrumentation to enhance the melancholic atmosphere.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Sleeping Murder 8:34
- 2 Night’s Dew 4:15
- 3 Sylvan‐Night 10:23
- 4 Quiet These Paintings Are / Outro 12:02
- 5 To Adorn 8:51
- 6 Shadowed Dreams 9:41
- 7 In the Mist 9:51
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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