Vicky
Doom Metal as a whole is one of the most niche genres out there. It has a little something for everyone, and without a doubt, we all once found ourselves in a Doom Metal song – ranging from slightly less depressive (Candlemass deserves credit for coming up with “please let me die in solitude”), all the way to the even more mournful part (think of this: Swallow The Sun once sang “My old friend will you lay me back to rest? I’ve been suffering so long without you. Come and take me away from this pain”. If that doesn’t scream out Metal Dostoevsky, I don’t know what will).
As expected, I am reviewing something melancholic today. So we’re coming in strong with-with-with (suspense rising, drum rolls and everything)… Shades Of Deep Water. I realise the fact that there’s a chance you haven’t heard of this band before, so before we really get started, here’s a (very short) summary of the group’s history: the lineup is composed entirely of one sole member, J. H. or Juho Huuskola (In Depths of Winter, Sarajah), who has been releasing music under the moniker Shades Of Deep Water since 2006. The Years On Borrowed Time is the band’s fifth album.
Only four songs at a whopping total of 41 minutes? Count me in! This LP is basically as “Funeral” as Doom Death Metal gets – a melancholic violin meets good unclean vocals, mournful lyrics and slow riffs. This album carries on the torch of My Dying Bride’s Songs of Darkness, Words of Light 2004 full-length through the usage of baritonal Death Metal-esque vocals. Everything eventually ends up coiling around the powerful violins and guitars duel. Note: the violins are used in the way characteristic to the ’90s Gothic Doom Metal, meaning that if you are not used to it, you could consider the sound to be quite bizarre and/or frightening. To my fellow goths, I am sure you are going to like this album.
The Years On Borrowed Time is one of the most powerful titles in modern Doom Metal, it encloses the presence of a certain event that will without a doubt happen at a certain point. This, too, contributes to the sombre aura that seems to haunt the tracks “Mare Septentrionale” and “Closure”. The title track (which is also the prologue, by the way) has an extraordinary feature: it blends Funeral Doom/Death Metal with Gothic and Symphonic Metal.
In the end, I do not know what else I could possibly say. Listen to this album, listen to Shades Of Deep Water, because I am convinced that we will hear way more about J. H. and his bands in the future. Will they ever become as well known as (for instance) The Peaceville Three or Candlemass? I’m unsure. But they definitely have the potential to be. I want to congratulate Juho Huuskola for his work on this album, it has certainly made me believe that Doom Metal is not a dead genre. When you are living on borrowed time, everything becomes uncertain. Except for this album. This is good nonetheless.
Label: Meuse Music Records
Release date: October 31, 2025
Website: https://shadesofdeepwater.bandcamp.com/
Country: Finland
Score: 4.0/5.0 (I might change the score later on)
Metal Eclipse Reviews 