Aging is weird, man, and I’m at a point in my life where I feel less connection to my younger self every day. A lot of that is because I’ve changed a lot, and the strong connections I once felt to certain things either darkened or transformed. It’s a strange thing with which to come to terms, and as life goes on, I feel more myself now and not before.
“Homesick” is the new record from Italian doom band Shores of Null, and it focuses on our connections to the past, whether that’s a physical dwelling, relationships, or things about ourselves. Feelings and meanings change, and the things that meant their weight in gold before fade over time. Over 10 tracks and 48 minutes, the band—vocalist Davide Straccione, guitarists Gabriele Giaccari and Raffaele Colace, bassist Matteo Capozucca, drummer Emiliano Cantiano—pours oceans of emotion into their dramatic doom that’s colored with death around the edges, and it’s an experience the band intends you to take as a whole instead of in chapters. It’s worth the time and effort to absorb it at that way.
“Allies Before Defeat” generously pours doom waters, Straccione’s singing bellowing, a gothy fog pumping morbidity. The melodies burn as the chorus gains momentum, Straccione calling, “Take this heart before it’s gone, it’s all I have to give,” as the final moments trudge. “Two Mountains” has deep singing, Straccione wailing, “Among the snow they drifted into slumber on the summit,” as growls cut in, making the waves choppier. The temperature cools just before the soloing breaks out, the band sounding in great spirit as the bottom falls out. “Bleed to Life” drives as the vocals guide, darkness enveloping as a hearty tempo fills hearts, dreary playing making the shadows seem more volatile. The chorus surges as growls gnaw bones, stretching the murk as everything comes to a bruising end. The title track is cleaner and more fluid, Straccione warning, “My home is dangerous, my soul is ravenous.” Growls punch as the thorns grow thicker, and amid a more reflective passage, strong soloing releases new colors, the singing gusts, and the final drive robs you of breath. “Son of the Tide” rouses, harsh vocals take over, and the crunch is noticeable, even as the playing tangles with new energy. The pace cools as Straccione calls, “The coldest tears frozen in time,” as the forceful playing continues before cresting.
“Dreaming of a Scar” basks in strings and mist-drenched guitars, the growls claw, and a gothy presence sends chills, cleaner singing returning to coat nerves. The pace pounds harder as desperation pulls back, burning into oblivion. “Society Is the Murderer” crunches, speak singing pushing, grim reality settling in over the chorus. The mood darkens as Straccione wails, “Vivid as the starlight on the wake of freedom,” blood rushing before keys chime away. “The Numbing Void” is slower, growls squeezing harder, the chorus cleansing as Straccione sings, “Unarmed to the sound of the end that bursts in silence, memories feed the scars of my faith.” The playing feels rockier and nautical, growls grind teeth, and the strings ache, Straccione jabbing, “This craven life has fooled us again, condemned.” “Another Breath” rumbles in as the drums pound, the chorus smokes, then every element hangs you in the elements to get soaked. Guitars smear as the heaviest part of the record takes over, Straccione howls, “Lost in the fray, nurturing nightmares, a silence too loud to bear.” “Disappear” closes, clean singing and harsh cries mix, and a slow-driving pace ensures the weight pushes down. “There’s no joy without pain, I suck it in,” Straccione levels, misery and horror mixing, the playing sweeping again before liquefying and fading.
“Homesick” is an interesting record philosophically as it balances what it means to belong somewhere and what ties to our past say about us and what we become. Shores of Null normally challenge lyrically with their stormy doom, and it’s one of the reasons they’ve become a band whose records we seek out anytime they release one. This is one that could have a different meaning every time you visit, and that could have a major impact on how we bridge where we came from and where we’re going.
For more on the band, go here: https://www.shoresofnull.com/
To buy the album, go here: https://www.shoresofnull.com/shop
