Biography:
If there ever was a band in Finland living up its moniker, it must be Shape of Despair. Yet let not one be fooled by such a catch-all description. There is no easy way out of the monochrome maze laid out before the visionary eye of the listener. From inky blackness crawling over the hapless wanderer to passages of almost blinding whiteness-think of sun shining, unforgiving, over a glacier-this is modern, funereal doom without any of the tired trappings often associated with the genre.
Shape of Despair came into being during winter 1995, the brainchild of band leader Jarno Salomaa (guitars and synth) and Tomi Ullgren (guitars). All the while searching for the ultimate line-up, Shape of Despair recorded a demo-tape "Alone in the Mist", a promo, and two albums. While the debut "Shades of." caused quite a stir in the underground, their aim became unwavering for the second one and "Angels of Distress" was a bull's-eye shot, a defining moment for a talented band already well set in their ways.
Holy shit, this stuff is the sex of Black Metal. Melodic female backing, some damn good growling, some good riffs; this is tasty, indeed. The only problem I have with it is a pretty lengthy intro, but I can get over that. Is it me, or do I hear a little melodic metal in here? Duh.
Reminds me alot of Cradle of Filth, now that I think about it. But Shape of Despair seems to be a little harder, which is good.
Your Profile/Options: [
.jpg)
Offline
11 
