There’s nothing like a good opening cut. Or a good opening to an opening cut. “Unholy Water” begins Shadows Of The Shapeless in web of intrigue (and by web of intrigue, I mean some awesome riffs) that echoes a breakdown of Yob proportions.
It’s not brought to you by a set of American doom metal hipsters without the good sense to leave their solo-happy egos at the door, but instead, from Swedish steel-town trio Kongh. While they work in that Swedish mastery of all things stoner, along with some hints of black metal, the most Euro-doom thing about Kongh is their tastefulness. Never do they feel like they’re overplaying; instead, each song is muscular and as streamlined as nine-plus minute tracks can be.
And despite the extremely niche audience for what these guys are selling, the band displays an impressive handle on a few divergent styles and somehow keep it all together. So while Shadows isn’t quite a groundbreaking work, you’d be hard pressed to find fault with it. Go ahead. Try.
In A Word: Solid
