CoC : Shape of Despair - Angels of Distress : Review

Shape of Despair - _Angels of Distress_
(Spikefarm, 2001)
by: Chris Flaaten (8 out of 10)

Slooooooow. Dooooooom. That sums it up right there, but due to my strong sense of duty, I will elaborate. Shape of Despair's debut album _Shades Of..._ was not that great -- apart from the monumental "Down Into the Stream", it lacked consistent quality. This has improved greatly on _Angels of Distress_. Amorphis vocalist P.K. (Pasi Koskinen) and siren songstress N.S. deliver great performances on top of Shape of Despair's melancholic and beautiful music. This is music for those who find My Dying Bride a tad cheerful, those who like soothing melodies played at 0.03 mph, and those who want sheer depression shot right into their system. I am one of those. Featuring five songs (averaging eleven minutes each), Shape of Despair use violins, synths and the aforementioned siren song to create an enchanting mix of melody and variation. This album is the melancholic highlight of the year for me thus far, but I haven't heard the new My Dying Bride album yet.

(article published 19/10/2001)

ALBUMS
29/11/2004	P Azevedo	8.5	Shape of Despair - Illusion's Play