Review: Kongh – “Shadows of the Shapeless”

Band: Kongh
Album: Shadows of the Shapeless
Year: 2009
Label: Trust No One Recordings

Track list:
1. Unholy Water
2. Essence Asunder
3. Tänk På Döden
4. Voice of the Below
5. Shadows of the Shapeless

Coming from the cold fields of Sweden, Kongh unveiled their second album.

The first few times I listened to the record I thought the songs were drawn-out. The more I got in to it though, I found them to be just the right length. This is one of those albums whose intricacies and subtleties expose themselves after you give it time. Believe me, it’s a good thing, just like with old wine.

Kongh are a serious band that hands down a set of tones that take you on a seemingly endless journey which mixes diverse musical styles but finds a common language in a prime combination of sludge, atmospheric black metal and rock. It’s complicated but it works flawlessly.

If you know the influential bands that come from their glorious country, you’ll instantly recognize their influence in the sound. This doesn’t mean that Kongh are copycats, just very much aware of the music in their homeland.

I haven’t listened to Kongh before getting this album but now my ears are wide open and they want more. If you’re into heavy sounds that get you thinking, this album was made for you.