The idea to form a band goes back to the first months of the year 1995 when T.U. and J.S. started to rehearse together after the demise of their first Death metal band. They wrote a few songs together and their style began to evolve into something doomish. A drummer (T.M.) was found from a small circle of friends and at that time the name Raven was taken. In the same year Raven recorded some instrumental rehearsal tapes only for their own pleasure.
In the end of the year 1997 the band's songwriting progressed and the music evolved into the desperate and beautiful synth-based slow-drifting music that it is today. In January '98 Raven entered a small 8-track studio called Arkki and recorded their first songs from the year '95: an approximately 50min, demo-tape 'Alone in the mist', only for themselves. Approximately at the same time the female singer with the most enchanting voice this side of heaven, N.S., joined the band. In September Raven changed their name to Shape of Despair and recorded their promo containing two of the newest compositions and sold all of the 100 tapes. This tape featured aguest appearance on vocals by Azhemin from Thy Serpent. At that time the line-up was: J.S. - guitars, drum-programming & synth, T.U. - bass, Azhemin - vocals and N.S. - female vocals. This was the tape that caught the attention of Spikefarm records who, stunned by the band's ability to write such gargantuan tunes, signed Shape of Despair immediately. At this point J.S. was facing a problem of finding the perfect people to fully realize his vision of what the band should sound like.
T.M., who used to handle the drummers position in Raven, was recruited into the band, this time as a vocalist. His deeper-than-deep voice fit the band perfectly. The perfect drummer was found when S.R., a well-known drummer in the scene agreed to play on the album. A fluteplayer (J.V.) was also recruited. The band then entered Hellhole Studios in Helsinki and with the assistance of Antti Lindell and Kaide Hinkkala laid down the tracks for the monstrous 'Shades of�'-album. As soon as the album was released, it gained numerous raving reviews all over the world and was greeted as one of the doom-albums of the decade. Which it certainly is. T.M.'s ultra-deep growls, the fragile voice of N.S. combined with the downtuned heaviness of the guitars and the overall slowness created a glacial atmosphere, cold and merciless like the Finnish winter.
Shape of Despair started finalizing new material as soon as the studio doors had been shut behind them. J.S. already had most of the material ready before the first album was even recorded! In April 2001 everything was finally ready and the band headed down to the pits of Hellhole again. After the recording of 'Shades of�' T.M. made the decision to leave the scene permanently so the band was facing a task of finding a new vocalist to fill the huge gap T.M. left. The ideal replacement was found when J.S. met Pasi Koskinen of Amorphis fame and was showered with praise from the prog-rockers' vocalist. When asked if he would like to perform the vocals on the upcoming album, the response was quick: Of course. This time the band also had a violinist (Toni Raehalme) on board adding new aspects to the sound.
'Angels of Distress' is a work of mind-numbing proportions. It takes the band's sound into new realms of depression offering more variety in music instead of the transcendental, introverted flow of the first album. The all-encompassing rumble of the guitars has given way to a more polished sound, leaving space for the vocals and synthesizers to expand the bleak atmospheres Shape of Despair weaves. 'Angels of Distress' is the shape of doom to come.
Now, on the release of �Illusion�s Play� the line-up has, besides Salomaa and Ullgren, settled on Natalie Safrosskin (female voc), Samu Ruotsalainen (dr) (both long-standing members), Sami Uusitalo (b) and Pasi Koskinen (v). Mr Koskinen�s monstrous growls prove his vocal range is by no means exhausted by his other bands Amorphis and Ajattara, while providing a distinct counterpoint to Natalie�s angelic voice.
�Illusion�s Play� was recorded and mixed in Hellhole Studios by Kaide Hinkkala and Antti Lindell. Tranquil, serene, yet brooding with the same sense of impending doom as their earlier albums, there is notable cross-over potential present on this powerful album. If anything, �Illusion�s Play� takes a stand against the fast-food mentality in music today�this is one of albums to truly pay attention to. Reeling over the edge to the vertiginous gulf below, try not to sway� too far� |
Style: Black Metal Progressive Death Me Black / Death Metal Black metal Death atmospheric black Melodic Black Metal Death / Doom Metal black-grind raw black atmospheric black Power / Progressive trash metal war black avantgarde death; sympho black black progressive rock Black Metal Black Metal / Pagan Metal Melodic Death Metal Black / Death Melodic Doom Death Metal Progressive Metal Black Metal / Death Metal Black Metal Melodic Metal Power Metal Black Metal Heavy Metal Sympho Black Metal Black Metal Black Metal Viking BlackThrash Metal Black / Death Metal Celtic Pagan Black Metal Black Metal Brutal Death / Black Metal Black Metal Black Metal Black / Thrash Metal Black / Doom / Death Metal Hardcore Heavy Metal Black Metal Black / Doom / Gothic metal Black Metal Black metal Speed / Power / Heavy Metal Black / Thrash Metal Black / Death Metal Black / Death Metal Grindcore / Death Black / Death Metal Thrash Metal Black Metal Death Metal Progressive Black Metal Power Metal Doom / Gothic / Progressive Brutal Death Metal Death Metal Death / Grind Black Metal Death Metal Melodic Death Metal Heavy / Power Metalcore Ambient Black Pagan Metal Progressive Metal Brutal Death / Gore Metal Black Metal Melodic Black Metal doom Doom / Stoner Metal Black / Death Metal Blues / Heavy Metal Black Metal Gothic Metal folk metal Black Technical death / grind Sympho Black Progressive Death Melodic death Black Black Thrash Black Metal Black Melodic Death Melodic Death Gothic Metal Black Metal Black Metal Grindcore Melodic Death Metal Hard Rock Death Black Death Black Melodic Death / Folk Metal Sympho Black Metal Heavy, Power Gore Death Metal Black Metal Avantgarde Doom Black / Thrash Metal Progressive Metal Power Viking Metal Melodic Black / Death Metal Black Heroic-Folk-Metal Black / viking metal Funeral Doom Heavy / Black / Death Doom Thrash Symphonic Death / Black Metal Heavy Power metal Viking Death / Industrial Folk / Black Metal fast black Anglo-Saxon pagan-black Sympho Power Metal Black / Doom Metal Power Black Metal Black Metal Power / Speed Metal Black Metal Industrial / Death / Grindcore Black Metal Black Metal Progressive Metal / Rock Heavy / Trash Doom / Sympho Black Metal Death / Grind Nu Metal heavy / power metal Brutal Death Metal Pagan Black Metal Power Heavy Black Metal Brutal Death Metal Brutal death metal Brutal Death Power / Thrash Metal Melodic Black Death / Black Death / Black Metal Black / Death Metal Grindcore / Death Folk Metal Melodic Death Metal Heavy Gothic Rock / Doom Metal Black Metal Heavy Symphonic progressive rock Melodic Death Metal Power / Progressive Death Metal Doom / Death / Suicide Rock Symphonic progressive rock Heavy / Black Hard Rock Progressive Power Metal Thrash Metal Hard `n` Heavy Gothic / Doom Metal Gothic Gothic Gothic Metal Groove metal / Metalcore Hard Rock Black Metal Sympho Black Metal Progressive Rock / Metal Death / Thrash Metal Black Metal Heavy / Thrash / Industrial AOR Ebmient / Industrial Death Metal Black Metal Thrash / Death / Grind Metal Black / Gothic Metal Harsh Grind / Death Thrash Metal Atmospheric Dark Metal Melodic Death / Gothic Black Metal Melodic Black Metal Progressive / Neoclassical Folk / Celtic Metal Heavy Metal Melodic Death Metal Industrial Power Metal Black Metal Thrash / Speed Metal Black / Doom / Thrash Metal Melodic Death / Black Metal Black Metal Viking / Folk Metal Grind-Noise Black / Folk Metal Gothic Doom Death Doom-Death Black Metal Death Metal ambient / darkwave / gothic Heavy metal Death / Doom / Gothic Doom Gothic Metal Thrash Black Black Metal Death / Melodic Black Metal Grindcore / Brutal Death Black Black Black / Grind / Death / Trash death metal Death Death / Thrash Power metal Sympho black-death / dark Black Thrash Metal melodic death Progressive Death / Doom Raw Black Metal Doom Death Heavy Industrial Metal Thrashcore Doom Melodic Metal Progressive / Hard-rock Doom Heavy / Power Industrial Heavy Metal Doom Power / Progressive Black Symphonic Power Metal Black / Death Heavy Doom Death Techno Death Black Hard Rock Heavy / Hard rock Death Thrash / Death Metal Funeral doom