Black metal and post-metal are frequently combined, but it seems to me that black metal isn’t paired nearly often enough with post-metal’s gentler cousin, post-rock.1 So, upon seeing Dark Waters of Night in our promo pile, my interest was instantly piqued. Grey Shores, a brand-new group founded by Martin Andersson and Vilhelm Andersson2 in Stockholm, Sweden, aims to suffuse atmospheric black metal with the rich emotional shades of post-rock. Fusing the mellow and the intense is not always easy to do in a convincing way. How effectively does Grey Shores do this on their initial outing?
I was pleased to hear that Grey Shores sounds a lot like what I was hoping for. Dark Waters of Night follows in the footsteps of the lightly blackened post-rock of early Einvigi and Jord that I enjoy very much. The blackened snarls mesh well with the crystalline guitars, with pinches of misty Black Narcissus atmosphere. But who Grey Shores reminds me of most is Eneferens. Many of the musical compositions conjure the melancholy that permeated The Bleakness of Our Constant, though in a less impactful way. Then again, not many things are as impactful as that legendary record, and Grey Shores still lands in a decent spot on their first attempt.
Like a fawn taking its first shaky steps, Dark Waters of Night has a sort of tender yet hesitant charm. I quite like the guitar layers in “In the Pale Light,” the playful and trem-picked lines washing over my ears satisfyingly. The clean singing is serviceable but lacks some of the raw emotion that could really give the music the emotional impact it’s looking for. Likewise, the drum programming isn’t a direct hindrance to Grey Shores’ writing style, but it does inherently limit the spontaneity that a drummer would bring to the table. As the album progresses, “Sights of Woe” sounds more confident, with solid double tracked clean/harsh vocals and a surprisingly rapid guitar solo. This darker, more menacing side of Grey Shores suits them well.
The essential ingredients are present in Dark Waters of Night, but they don’t always coalesce into a compelling whole. This may be because there isn’t much time in which to do so. All seven tracks are around five minutes or less, most of them hinting at a buildup towards a climactic resolution but then ending with a repeat of the intro passage or fizzling out (“In the Pale Light” is the exception that has a rewarding conclusion). “January Wolves,” one of the short instrumental tracks, is a lovely little tune that evokes the wondrous hope of Skyforest, but it barely has a chance to form before trailing off weakly. It’s disappointing because the trim 30-minute total runtime offered ample room for further development of ideas. We often say that less is more, but this might be a case of less is less.
Although I enjoyed my time with Dark Waters of Night, it feels incomplete more than anything. There are some promising moments here that don’t always come to fruition. The interplay between post-rock and atmospheric black metal makes for a very pleasant musical experience, albeit not an altogether memorable one. Even so, Grey Shores has a blueprint for something special with more refinement, and their sophomore record has the potential to be really special.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Self-Release
Websites: greyshores.bandcamp.com | instagram.com/greyshoresband
Releases Worldwide: September 4th, 2026
The post Grey Shores – Dark Waters of Night Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
