LP Review: "Death's Threshold" by Shades of Deep Water

Death's Threshold

It's time for me to meet someone new.

Today's subject is a Funeral Doom Metal band from Finland. When I hear this sub-sub-genre, my first thought is of bands like Un and, to an extent, Ahab.

But these Finns couldn't be further away from those acts.

Their seventh release, Shades of Deep Water, begins with classical strings. Violins and the whatnot. Would this be a good time to point out that once violins were the purview of the drunks and the tavern players?

Probably  not.

Like others in the genre, Shades of Deep Water play slow and morose music. The addition of the strings makes for something that has no reeking of subgenre box checking, but genuine expression.

The other major difference is that our Finnish friends have a nearly instrumental record. It's easy to make someone sad when you're telling a sad story, but what if you don't have any words?

How do you do it then?

Shades of Deep Water has found a way. The entire album is depressing. The cover's depiction of the music within is apt. We are all walking into death's door. Many of us are headed down into the underworld.

This is about how you'd feel as you finished your walk.

RELEASE 7/25/19 BANDCAMP