In the tried and true but never boring Finnish tradition, these songs are as depressing as deep winter and twice as cold as ice. Funereal in nature, the dismal atmosphere is brought to life by deep, somber guitar tones and melodies.
"Cold Heart" embraces the project's style like never before, diving deep into the frigid waters offered by the five songs and forty minute runtime.
The aforementioned melody isn't upbeat or uplifting---this isn't your Gothenburg style of melody. The ones contained within these dirges are dismal and strikingly forlorn. They crash against the wall of riffs, both blended seamlessly within the songs yet also very telling of their own journey.
I find the album to be very smartly paced as well. The title track, "Cold Heart" opens in a very immediate way, eschewing the typical build up so often presented in doom. There isn't anything wrong with getting to the point and this song does a great job in grabbing me from the very first second. As I was hooked and reeled in, the song begins to unfurl itself like a winter sun in the dawn hours to revealing its nuances and many details.
The song isn't afraid to mix clean tones and instrumentation among the distortion. I like this because the songs keep their heavy, doomed laden style while having a bit of regal quality, a refined approach to the ever approaching death.
"Ice Damn" showcases the album's knack for weaving melodies that, while very much filled with sorrow, still manage to soar to the highest highs. With the first thirty seconds of this song, I was already treated to an expedition on the sea, seemingly stopped by the formidable ice.
The song also showcases another album highlight: the ability to be walking a down trodden path but then suddenly hit hard with bruising riffs, such as the change over at around 1:05 mark. The later half of the song is damn near magical: the keys, riffs, and bass swirl together to create a beautifully dark snow storm infused tapestry.
"The White," spends its moments with quiet, clean tones that are surprisingly gentle. This instrumental song gives a nice respite by dividing the album down the middle of its track list while also showcasing the album's dynamics and willingness to take risks.
"The Erebus" is the total opposite, at least musically speaking but it seems to carry on the spirit of the instrumental in tone. Deep growls push the song every forward, solid drumming dancing among the notes to keep the song flowing smoothly while highlighting the other instruments. This song has wonderfully composed key structures and melodies that are catchy but is also definitely a bulldozer among the ice.
"The Terror," is perhaps my favorite song on the album. There is a nervous feeling, a line of trepidation that runs through the permafrost foundation. The death growls/screams are pure emotion--longing, pained and desperate.
The last few minutes of the song are among the best moments in the band's history. The bass pops out from behind the melodies so well, stalwart but melodic and every flowing. The tone of the riffs and the drums keep the whole movement thick and intense as the song rides out towards its end.
Ending an album with an eleven minute instrumental is no easy feat but "The Endless" nails it and then some. As the title might suggest, the song feels like it could go on forever, every flowing and marching forward like death, the seasons, and so many other sometimes ugly things in life.
I can't think of a better to way to end the album. Even without vocals, the song captures everything the album wanted to say but presents in a moving, cinematic experience that is massive in scope
All in all Shades Of Deep Water presents in "Cold Heart" an album that continues to further expand the project's ability to craft well excused death/doom metal through imaginative and dynamic songs.
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