HOME NEWS CATALOG BANDS LIVE CONTACTS SHOP SHOP USA DEMO Search for a band: Home Shape of Despair If the legendary swansong, a majestic bird’s final dying cry of despair, pain, sorrow and yet a celebration of beauty and life has ever found a musical equivalent, 'Monotony Fields' has to be counted among the closest contenders. SHAPE OF DESPAIR return to teach a magnificent lecture in melancholy with their fourth full-length. The Finns have taken their sweet time to create this masterpiece – worthy of their supinely paced genre, which can best be described as a carefully crafted balancing act between atmospheric and funeral doom. Nearly eleven years have passed since SHAPE OF DESPAIR released their acclaimed previous album 'Illusion's Play' (2004). This hiatus was only briefly interrupted by the 'Written in My Scars' EP in 2010 and a split 7” with BEFORE THE RAIN the following year, as strong reminders of the band's effusive talent. SHAPE OF DESPAIR was founded by Jarno Salomaa and Tomi Ullgren after the demise of their death metal band in 1995. The two guitarists were aiming for a darker and more serene sound. Debut album 'Shades of...' (2000) proved an instant success, garnering much praise from critics and fans alike. The quickly following 'Angels of Distress' (2001) is still regarded as a milestone of doom metal. Having added the corrosive and grinding vocals of Henri Koivula, which contrast perfectly with Natalie Koskinen's aerial female voice, SHAPE OF DESPAIR now return to reclaim the throne of funeral doom with an album that exceeds each and every high expectation their eagerly waiting fan-base has heaped upon them during their long years of absence. 'Monotony Fields' is bound to storm the end of the year lists and still manages to appeal beyond any boundaries inflicted by its genre. Lean back and let misery and suffering magically transform into pure pleasure and great joy! [read more] Latest Release Monotony Fields General information Formats Tracklisting General information Rel. date : Mon, Jun 15 2015 Rel. date US : Tue, Jun 16 2015 Genre : Doom Reference : SOM356 Status : available KEN mode The heartbeat of any modern metropolis, its anger, aggression and urgency echo through "Entrench". With full-length number five, KEN mode honour their noisier roots delving deep into fertile metallic Post-Hardcore severity, while offering ... [read more] Inquisition INQUISITION cemented their reputation as rising underground stars with their fifth full-length 'Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm' (2011). Despite the long wait for a new album after 'Nefarious Dismal Orations' was ... [read more] Latest news TSJUDER TSJUDER are now unleashing 'Antiliv', which has been scheduled for worldwide release tomorrow, 18th of September. 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