Once, a friend of mine asked Big Daddy here what is true sonority, or we could say the true musical model for Death Metal. My words in the answer were extremely simple: whatever a band wants to do with its music. There's no formula, no way which could be sure in our days. I believe that DEATH, when created the style (sorry, but POSSESSED was a Thrash Metal band in their own words) didn't mean to keep something that couldn't evolve, musically speaking. That's the main reason for hearing and accepting a band as the UK Progressive Death Metal quartet SHRINES, that is arriving with their first work, the album that has the same name of the band.

Experimental, dense and sometimes more aggressive, their musical identity is an amalgam of a lot of musical influences, using melodic and clean vocals many times, and sometimes more harsh and raw. Of course we can feel influences coming from works of bands as BORKNAGAR and VINTERSORG sometimes, but they have their own personality.

In terms of production, everything is fine. Of course some tunes could be better (some guitar riffs could be a bit dirtier, the drums could have more powerful tunes), but the overall result is very positive.

So, it's time to know a bit more about their songs.

To be honest, they are really doing a good work, with songs that we can understand with no great problems. And the best ones are the excellent and melodic "The Drowned and the Saved" (filled with excellent guitars, along with very good vocals); the perfect fusion between brutality and introspection heard on "Eternal Return"; the hooking and abrasive work of bass and drums on "Broken Man" (again a perfect fusion of introspection with aggressive nasty moments), the raw power heard on "Of the Wolf" (excellent guitars once more); and the melancholic feeling that fills "Forsaken Origin" (with finer and tender melodic vocals sometimes).

It's a good band that will grow and show great works on the future. For now, it's a very good revelation.