Greek Doom/Death Metal quintet Shattered Hope release their superb new EP Memoir on 9 November 2024. Memoir is a hugely emotive listen from a band who are not afraid to get creative with their sound and, as vocalist Nikos told MetalTalk, this is all driven by a natural evolution.
Anyone who has followed the three studio full-lengths Shattered Hope have released, will see that the band have developed a darker, colder and more extreme quality over time.
“If someone observes our style from record to record,” Nikos told Jools Green, “they will realise that we do not play exactly the same in any of our three releases. The basis is Doom/Death Metal, but in no case can anyone say that we are repeating ourselves. This was something that happened quite naturally and had to do with our evolution as individuals, both musically and socially.”
Memoir features two new tracks, In Waning My Days and A Crevice Of Painful Light, along with a cover of Diafana Krina’s Ble Himonas. “What gives us inspiration to write new pieces are the conditions that prevail around us,” Nikos says. “Musically, the specific two tracks are a group composition, while in terms of the lyrics, the themes are my personal experiences.”
For Shattered Hope, the writing begins with the riff. “In the studio, we start with a riff that we think is interesting, and then we try to figure out how to continue it,” Nikos says. “When we have a complete piece in our hands, then the vocal lines come in, and the lyrics are written on top of them. In the future, this may change, and some lyrics will be written to music, but for now, this is our approach.”
For the third track, Shattered Hope chose to do a cover of the Greek rock group Diafana Krina’s 1998 track, Ble Himonas. The band have cited Diafana Krina as an inspiration. This is an interesting choice. I love how they have added a darker, doom-rich and more mystical mood to the track. It gives a different feel to the piece.
“This story started three years ago after the pandemic,” Nikos says. “When we were going to play again, we wanted to choose a song to cover. At first, we were thinking of covering The Cure, but then we thought maybe that was something trivial, and we wanted something more intriguing.
“So, we ended up with our favourites Diafana Krina and the track Μπλε Χειμώνας (Blue Winter). We tried to make it more in our own style. We liked the result so much that we decided to record it for an official release and that was to be Memoir.”
Shattered Hope: A darkly emotive, 26-minute journey in doom/Death Metal. Memoir captivates.
Shattered Hope have shared stages with many big names: Saturnus, Mourning Beloveth, Ataraxie, Mar De Grises, Mourning Dawn, Ahab and Pagan Altar, to name a few. “All those bands are amazing,” Nikos says, “and we’re so glad we’ve shared the stage with them over the years. In fact, My Dying Bride and Saturnus are also one of our main influences and one of the reasons we play this kind of music.”
Who would they like to share a stage with? “That varies depending on the tastes of the members,” Nikos smiles. “One will say Black Sabbath, another will say Candlemass, another Cannibal Corpse, another Nirvana and another will say Ulver. Take your pick.”
Festival seasons have been good for Shattered Hope, too. The band have played festivals such as Doom Shall Rise, Ghost Fest, Dublin Doom Day and Dutch Doom Days. “All those festivals are amazing, and they treated us great,” Nikos said. “If we had to choose a favourite, we would say Doom Shall Rise in Germany and Metal Gates in Romania. Their organisation was beyond fantastic, and we had a great time at both.”
As for a festival wish for the future, “There are so many festivals now, and we can’t choose one,” Nikos says. “But it would definitely be very interesting to go to Scandinavia and America.”
Doom on, indeed.
Memoir will initially be available as a limited edition (200 copies) 180gr black vinyl and in digital format with Digi CD and cassette to follow in the beginning of 2025.
Shattered Hope – Memoir – Not afraid to get creative with their sound.
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Shattered Hope Discuss Creative Evolution And New EP Memoir In Exclusive Interview first appeared on
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