Band:	Shattered Hope
Album:	Waters Of Lethe
Style:	Death doom metal
Release date:	February 2014

01. Convulsion
02. For The Night Has Fallen
03. My Cure Is Your Disease
04. Obsessive Dilemma
05. Aletheia
06. Here's To Death

I've put off reviewing for a bit. This is partially because of the MS Awards work, but largely because this marks my 200th review for Metal Storm and I was hoping to get something special to review.

Lo and behold? enter Shattered Hope.

Way back when, when I had just four posted reviews under my belt for MS, Hellenic purveyor of doom, Shattered Hope were the very first band to ever contact me and ask me to review their works. Enjoyed the promo and really enjoyed their debut, Absence.

So when I found out they were putting out a new release, Waters Of Lethe, I was giddy as a 14yo at a Justin Bieber concert. Or as giddy as my bitter self would be if we deported his ass back to Canada. Or better yet, Somalia.

Any ways, while I digress the band continue to impress.

They play an Officium Triste style of death doom - which is to say harsh vocals, slow, crushing riffs, and long tracks interspersed with peaceful interludes. This time around, Waters Of Lethe sees six tracks, the shortest of which, "Obsessive Dilemma" is a scant 10 minutes and change. The formula generally remains the same, although the rougher parts feel a little more edgy. Songs like "My Cure Is Your Disease" seems to have a much greater uncompromising and uncaring feel when the crushing moments come down like a rockslide and batter you. Perhaps the results of unrest in Greece are rubbing off on their music, or perhaps Supergreg Chandler (Estoeric) behind the knobs.

In either case, they continue to walk that path of harsh, somber, emotionally-crushing music tainted with just enough beauty so as to make the entire work bittersweet. Uplifting glimmers and glimpses? hopes yet to be, well, shattered.

As with the predecessor, it does close with the most ambitious track on the album, "Here's To Death", 17 minutes which attempts to condense all their finer qualities into one showcase. Along with "For The Night Has Fallen", the highlight of the album.

After a week and change of playing this regularly, I'm still truly torn as to whether or not I prefer this to their smashing debut. Probably Absence if only for the presence of "Lament, in F$ Minor." That close. Given how highly I thought of that one, consider this a ringing endorsement for Waters Of Lethe.