Shape of Despair – Return to the Void
Release Date: 25th February 2022
Label: Season of Mist
Bandcamp
Genre: Funeral Doom Metal
FFO: Esoteric, Swallow the Sun, Skepticism, Draconian.
Review By: Rick Farley
When thinking about different countries and their contributions to Metal, it’s tough to not immediately think of Finland when it pertains to any type of Doom Metal. I have always thought it was extremely fascinating that one place can spur an entire sound or genre. Such is the case with Shape of Despair, a Funeral Doom band from Helsinki that’s been creating frigid Nordic gloom since 1998. Not known for releasing frequent albums, it’s been seven years since the release of the excellent “Monotony Fields.” Which is a staggering piece of emotional despair. Even though the band has a long history, Return to the Void marks only the bands fifth full length of their celestial vision of eternal darkness.
Funeral Doom, I believe, is a genre that’s either loved or just severely misunderstood. It can be a daunting listen for those in the latter. Often overly long, repetitive, and monotonous dreariness that appeals so highly to some and not at all to others. The question is, why would you listen to such esoteric music that’s only meant to evoke a sense of emptiness? For me, it’s the emotional payoff, it’s deep and very cathartic. It’s healing on a level within a conscious sedation, entrancing but often soothing. Through misery, you can find tranquillity. To the uninitiated that sounds strange, but it harkens to real life, it’s loss and true suffering that propels you forward the most. This music reflects that feeling of abstruse yearning. To do better, to live better, to love better. It’s what music is supposed to do, affect you.
Return to the Void does exactly that. Overwhelming atmosphere, heavy and slowly chorded guitars and gorgeous warm synths create a denseness that’s utterly suffocating. Guttural lows from the bowels of hell interwoven with cleanly sung harmonies from Natalie Koskinen is a dynamic that’s rich with peaks of contrasting dualism. Shape of Despair trod along painfully slow through the thick fog on the way to a loved one’s gravesite. The funeral dirge melodies sombrely play in the forefront, while waves of massive guitars and deathly growls envelope the listener. Deliberately slow moving to increase the crestfallen feelings that it creates.
There’s a subtle difference in the approach to songwriting that can be heard on Return to the Void that gives the album bits of brightness not typical of the genre. The song Forfeit has an unpredictable chord progression that moves in an almost piano like fashion. It moves from note to note with synths and clean harmonies between both singers that eventually meld into deep growls and heavier chord progressions in the background. Slightly outside the realm of Funeral Doom in an uplifting but still melancholic way. Midway through, isolated vocal harmonies and signal note picking give way to faster strumming and a droning melody with higher pitched screams underneath. This song is a stunning reminder the genre can still sound fresh.
Dissolution has an abundant warmness that’s peaceful yet immensely powerful. The slowest track, the guitars and keyboard/synth sustain slowly, drowning the listener with an unhurried melody and thick distortion.
The albums masterpiece Reflections in Slow Time is mesmerizing and haunting. Beautiful, enchanting harmonies mixed with devastatingly hellish lows. It transitions from luscious synth textures to punishing walls of distortion. It has a simple, but effective melody throughout that will leave you catatonic. Angelic vocals and growls intertwine with one another intensely and effortlessly. It’s a dreamlike and engrossing track that resonates with anyone who’s ever felt sadness. The guitars churn in a heavy inspired fashion being dreadful yet majestic, manifesting a heavy feeling of introspective solitude.
Production wise this hellish beast sounds amazing, an abysmal thick dense sound that’s not overly cloudy or muddy. It’s warm, bright and sounds immense. Everything sustains out and resonates within the walls of sound. At fifty-seven minutes, Return to the Void is meant to be listened to from beginning to end. The natural balance created between dark, and light is remarkable. It’s the difference between feeling dreadfully comatose and an unconscious awareness that everything will be ok. At the end of each song marks a newfound hope along the dark and tragically beautiful journey. Hopefully, as the listener, you can find your inner peace through this desolate soundscape as well. 
(4 / 5)
