Of all the many different smaller styles that exist within the wider-known styles at large, it’s the dark and still largely unexplored territory that is funeral doom metal that catches my eye in many of its forms, and it’s as more bands come to the style with more albums being added to its catalogs that we are really starting to see what the sound can become. Bands like Bell Witch roll off the tongue when it comes to funeral doom, but there’s so much more to explore in that corner of music. As if to prove that point, the latest effort from Shattered Hope is a damn near perfect case to prove that concept.

Even from just the very name of the band itself, we’re being led down the path of all that is glory in the realm of funeral doom, and in no way does Shattered Hope let down those hopes as we’re guided through their magnificently dreary realm of supreme emotion and soulful heaviness that is always present throughout the entirety of “Vespers”. Even continuing the funeral doom trend of long songs with a short tracklist, this 5-song hour-long work is nothing to brush aside by any stretch of the imagination as Shattered Hope truly knew what they were doing as they crafted this record to become a tour de force the style in a way that it cannot be denied in its power, emotional weight, or literally any other factor that has ever made funeral doom a force to be reckoned with. The drawn-out riffs come together exquisitely with the overwhelming intensity that Shattered Hope is constantly bringing forward as we’re always treated to the key elements of the style, and it’s in every way that “Vespers” quickly becomes a record that is solely Shattered Hope’s rather than any other band out of the style. There’s clear personality and a flair that each member brings to the table deliciously to help make “Vespers” one of the most tantalizing works of funeral doom that I’ve heard since the latest works from the likes of Clouds or Officium Triste with the talent behind this act easily standing up to par with that high standard.

While I wouldn’t call “Vespers” an essential listen for funeral doom by a decent stretch, I cannot sit here and deny the fact that this is a record that feels catered precisely to fans of the style for it checks off all the right boxes in order to deliver a listen that is beyond entertaining. It’s an absolute slog in the very best way and it’s with each passing minute that Shattered Hope proceeds to impress around virtually every corner as we’re left in awe at their terrible power backed by suffocating emotion.

“Vespers” releases on February 6th via Fucking Your Creation Records!

LISTEN to “Vespers” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Shattered Hope on Facebook here.