SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY — Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion (review)

SHROUD OF DESPONDENCY — Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion album cover Album · 2011 · Atmospheric Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
The Block
Seeing one last ray of light…

I was pretty much about to give up on black metal, but then I listened to this album and I gained a whole new perspective on black metal. I still am not a huge fan, but this album has turned me onto, hopefully, a very good genre. Shroud of Despondency mixes heavy, dark riffs with long drawn out atmospheric chords to make this album very nice and soothing, while still being dark and dreary. In “Dark Meditations in Monastic Seclusion”, Shroud of Despondency makes great use of mixing different genres that include folk and a little bit of progressive to go along with black metal.

One thing that I still have a hard time getting over is the almost screamy vocals. In some of the acoustic songs such as “Flicker of the Ardent Light” and “Seeing One Last Ray of Light” the vocals are nowhere to be found and it adds up to a very enjoyable sound. The guitars are especially good on these tracks, showcased of course since it is all instrumental. These songs are the ones that you just want to sit down, close your eyes, and just imagine as you listen to them. They are so soft and smooth, contrasting sharply with the other songs a lot, but they still somehow blend and mix in. Shroud of Despondency also has some heavier songs, and even though they are very good instrumentally, the vocals detract just a little. My favorite of the heavier songs is the epic, rounding out at 12 minutes, “To Glisten In All the Colors of Distress”. It has superb drumming and guitar work to go along with the vocals. The vocals in this one really blend well with every thing, but on a level that makes it creepy and a little disturbing. But, that is the feel that I have come to expect from black metal, and this album delivers it seamlessly.

The production on this album is absolutely fantastic! It blends the darker, heavier side with the lighter side very well and gives the guitars quite a boost in most of the songs. The feel of this album is somewhat light at times, but also has its darker side.

Throughout this album I never once got bored. It stayed original and very good throughout, which is a huge plus to any album I listen to. The cover of this album says it all: dark, dreary, and very interesting. I recommend this to anyone, like me, who is hesitant about black metal; it will change your mind. For their very good release Shroud of Despondency gets 3.5 stars.
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Vehemency wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I just finished writing my review of this album, but I'll postpone adding the review until tomorrow so the frontpage isn't flooded with mere Shroud of Despondency. ;-) I agree with your review and am going to give the same rating.

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