This is the fifth album from Italian doom band Shores of Null.
Shores of Null do god work, as exemplified by 2020’s stellar Beyond the Shores (on Death and Dying) and 2023’s very enjoyable The Loss of Beauty. Homesick brings us 48 minutes of new material from the band, and it’s another worthy addition to the Shores of Null discography.
Homesick is an album of well-written melodic doom earworms. It offers a listening experience that’s situated somewhere between getting lost in an immersive resplendence on the one hand, and letting off steam to Gothic metal dancefloor tunes on the other. These two states are not mutually exclusive, either.
The songs take influence from multiple styles and subgenres – largely the melodic and Gothic strains of doom and death/doom – to produce a collection of songs that hit the spot nicely. They’re emotive, well-crafted, and grab the listener’s attention easily. Shores of Null rigoursly test their output so that it meets the required quality levels, and the results speak for themselevs.
One of the key draws of Shores of Null are the striking, memorable clean vocals. That’s not to minimise impact of the rest of the music, (or the harsh vocals), but the clean singing is certainly a strong asset that the band can lay claim too.
If you’re a fan Shores of Null’s work, then there’s a lot to like on Homesick. If you’re unfamiliar with the band, then this is a great album to get to know them, as it’s easily digestible and satisfying.
Highly recommended.
