SHORES OF NULL - Homesick

'Allies Before Defeat' wastes no time with introductions, as a floating riff and pulsating drums immediately demand attention. The vocals carry a distinct sense of melancholy and sadness, yet their controlled delivery gives them an almost calming quality. As the song progresses, both instrumentation and vocals gain power, while a surging bass line beneath the central riff adds another layer of depth to the increasingly immersive atmosphere. Darker vocals lurking further back in the mix enhance that feeling, before the dual-vocal chorus brings both sides together beautifully. An atmospheric and emotionally engaging opener.

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‘Two Mountains’ opens with plenty of energy, driven by thunderous drums and powerful riffing. Particularly in the chorus, carefully placed darker growls contrast beautifully with melancholic yet addictive clean vocals. The persistent drumming gives the composition an almost unstoppable momentum, as if there is only one option left: keep moving forward, no matter what has happened to you. A quieter bridge briefly pulls the instrumentation back, allowing the narrative and emotional vocal delivery to take centre stage. Towards the end, darker growls return, adding further weight to an already deeply emotional track.

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The title track 'Homesick' takes an entirely different approach: a heavily distorted riff and slow, deliberate drumming immediately mirror that suffocating weight of missing home, even when there may no longer be a home to return to. The vocals are drenched in emotion and longing, while increasingly brooding growls deepen the oppressive atmosphere as the song progresses. One line in particular stands out: "My home is dangerous." It raises an uncomfortable question, is it okay to miss a place even when that place has hurt you? After a brief increase in pace, the same slow, suffocating melody that opened 'Homesick' returns to close it, leaving the song almost trapped within its own longing.

'Dreaming of a Scar' takes a more classical and epic approach, with what sounds like piano and strings creating a tragic yet beautifully fragile melody. Clean guitars add further depth before cleverly incorporated drums gradually strengthen the composition. Just as you begin to lose yourself in its delicate atmosphere, sinister growls pull you abruptly back to reality. What I particularly love is the balance: the vocals seem to float effortlessly above the powerful instrumentation, with neither fighting for dominance. Instead, both strengthen each other, allowing fragility and heaviness to exist naturally side by side.

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Do you know that feeling when you stare into the distance without actually looking at anything, that strange sense of complete numbness? 'The Numbing Void' captures exactly that through slow, mind-numbing riffing, creeping growls and eerie chants lurking in the background. The drums gently guide the song forward, while a quieter passage built around a thick, rolling bass deepens its hypnotic pull. One of the standout details, however, is the subtle violin beneath the growls, its fragile melancholy making their heaviness feel even more oppressive. Small detail, huge effect.

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We close Homesick with 'Disappear', where clean guitar lines slowly drift into heavier, distorted territory as the first vocals arrive. It feels fitting that the closer brings so much of the album together: a heavy backbone riff, growls that get under your skin, melancholic clean singing and a bass line that carries both emotion and weight. Once again, small atmospheric details show just how strong the songwriting on this record is. The sadness 'Disappear' awakens can feel almost overwhelming, yet there is something strangely calming about it at the same time, that peculiar feeling of sad happiness. A beautifully bittersweet way to bring Homesick to an end.

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Homesick is an album that carries an enormous emotional weight without ever being crushed beneath it. Shores of Null balance melancholic melodies, crushing heaviness and atmospheric details with songwriting that allows every emotion to breathe. At times painfully sad, at others strangely comforting, the record captures that peculiar feeling of sad happiness remarkably well. Heavy, vulnerable and deeply immersive, Homesick is an album that stays with you long after the final note disappears.

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SCORE 9/10

REVIEWED BY SWAMPY