Shadows – Miseria
Release Date: 29th August 2025
Label: Self-Released
Bandcamp
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
FFO: Behemoth, Belphegor, Goatwhore.
Review By: Paul Cairney
Shadows are a blackened death metal band by way of Germany and Sweden. Steeped in extreme metal, the various band members have combined to release their debut album, Miseria. Originally created as a solo project by guitarist and vocalist Dejan Milenkovits, Shadows outgrew those limitations and a full band emerged including Martin Bermheden on guitar, bassist Andreas Holm and completed by skin-basher Joél Cirera on drums.
Onto the album. Miseria is a fine slab of metal. Described as blackened death metal, the band excel when they delve into the blacker aspect of the genre. The self-released nature of the album allows for a grimier production, to the benefit of the album as a whole. That’s not to say that the production is poor, it is perhaps more accurate to be described as being ‘raw’.
There are strong tracks on here – ‘Mässa XCIV’ is one of the blacker sounding tracks, and it is immense, as is the penultimate track, ‘Cycles’. These are the aforementioned album strengths.
Unfortunately, when the death metal aspect of the tracks dominate, Shadows lose some of their mojo. They become slightly more generic, although never becoming dull. They are perfectly acceptable tunes, and get the head nodding with ease. They are just not as good as the blackened tracks.
Miseria does provide hints for a promising future for Shadows. The tracks should transfer well into a live setting, and that should embed the new permanent line-up in.
Moving forward, Shadows will develop their sound, identifying their own path. Miseria is a promising debut, but album number 2 will be an improvement, and I look forward to the band progressing with interest.
(3.5 / 5)
