Whereabouts Unknown is the debut album of the new American trio Shadow And Claw. And what an impressive debut it is, both in terms of quality and approach. Labelled with the genre tag “blackened sludge doom”, I went into this album expecting some vile concoction of unnerving extreme metal in the vein of Dragged Into Sunlight or Lord Mantis. Instead, I was met with plenty of melody, soul, and an immersive nature-imbued atmosphere.
Audio samples of rolling thunder, a crackling campfire, howling gusts of wind, and a trickling stream help create an immersive experience, transporting the listener into the scenery of the cover art. Sitting atop a rocky ledge, gazing down as spectral belts of fog streak across the pine trees below, the sounds of acoustic guitar playing and subtle synth melodies fill the air.
Serving as a contrast to these softer, slightly stoner-inspired, ambient elements, Shadow And Claw present a harsher side as well. Heavy, sludgy riffs, combined with the vocalist’s blackened rasps, remind me of Warcrab’s catchy groove on 2023's The Howling Silence. But, just as with the instrumentation, the excellently demonic rasps also give way to calmer moments that even feature somber, clean singing such as on the track “Era Of Ash”.
In conclusion, Whereabouts Unknown is a very enjoyable and quite unique metal experience, providing lots of melancholic melody to combat harsher vocals and rumbling riffs. Both the emotive instruments and audio samples of nature work together to create a palpable soundscape that enraptures the listener for 41 minutes. Shadow And Claw have definitely gotten my attention with their very impressive debut, mixing blackened sludge with stoner doom ambience, and I look forward to listening to their future endeavors.
