Shallow Rivers – The Leaden Ghost
Six songs of depressing doom metal with a hint of melodic death metal is what you’ll get when listening to ‘The Leaden Ghost’ by Shallow Rivers. Each track more haunting than the next, this album is a definite add-on to any diehard doom metal/melodic death metal enthusiast’s library.
The vocals are black-ish with some infused death growls which didn’t really work the during the first listen. However, after the second and third, they rather melded with the music and it all made sense. It was discovered – after reading up on the band – the album is based on the concept of Henry Longfellow’s “The Wreck Of The Hesperus” which revolves around art and beauty driving men to insanity.
Track two, 'Light Upon Us, Haze Around Us' is as soothing as it is haunting with permeated chords rolling around snarling vocals. It is the longest track on the album with layers of doom sounding synth laid over fast drum tracks and gloomy breakdowns.
'We Are Cold' starts off a little too poppy with a catchy drumbeat and riff almost sounding like a filler track at first, but with a more in depth listen; it is as evocative as the rest of the album. There is an odd guitar solo roughly three minutes in that (slightly) takes away from the song, but it is then saved by an overshadowed of melodies and harmonies. The coolest part of this song is the end sounding like the song is going under water. Has that part been longer (and maybe even the fade in for the beginning) this song would have been amazing.
There is a good variation of changes on this album barring anything sudden. The ease of bridges that include melodic notes coupled with double bass drums adds to the mellow depth of this album. If you dig melodic death metal with a hint of doom, you’ll want to check this out.
The vocals are black-ish with some infused death growls which didn’t really work the during the first listen. However, after the second and third, they rather melded with the music and it all made sense. It was discovered – after reading up on the band – the album is based on the concept of Henry Longfellow’s “The Wreck Of The Hesperus” which revolves around art and beauty driving men to insanity.
Track two, 'Light Upon Us, Haze Around Us' is as soothing as it is haunting with permeated chords rolling around snarling vocals. It is the longest track on the album with layers of doom sounding synth laid over fast drum tracks and gloomy breakdowns.
'We Are Cold' starts off a little too poppy with a catchy drumbeat and riff almost sounding like a filler track at first, but with a more in depth listen; it is as evocative as the rest of the album. There is an odd guitar solo roughly three minutes in that (slightly) takes away from the song, but it is then saved by an overshadowed of melodies and harmonies. The coolest part of this song is the end sounding like the song is going under water. Has that part been longer (and maybe even the fade in for the beginning) this song would have been amazing.
There is a good variation of changes on this album barring anything sudden. The ease of bridges that include melodic notes coupled with double bass drums adds to the mellow depth of this album. If you dig melodic death metal with a hint of doom, you’ll want to check this out.
- Of Silent Winds That Whistle Death
- Light Upon Us, Haze Around Us
- Scorched, Wrecked, Torn, Then Crumbled To The Sea
- We Are Cold
- Snow
- The Leaden Ghost
Label: http://www.solitude-prod.com
Reviewer: Darlene Steelman
Aug 16, 2015
Aug 16, 2015
Next review:
From Earth – Dark Waves
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