Shape of Despair are funeral doom purveyors from Finland with a distinctly cult following. They are highly revered by connoisseurs of this particular subgenre, but unknown by anybody outside of its gravitational pull. Their work ethic is almost as lethargic as the music, as in 24 years of existence this is only their sixth album. However, some things are worth waiting for as “Return to the Void” is a somber melancholic masterpiece. 

Slow, grinding, and desolate, it is the sound of all the joy draining from the world. Dank and dirgy, but in the darkness, there are splints of light and fleeting glimpses of beauty. That juxtaposition is what makes this such a fascinating and entrancing piece of work. Buried in the glacially slow distorted refrains are some utterly enchanting pieces of music. A wonderfully challenging but in the end incredibly fulfilling album.