Italian melancholic Dark Metal band Shores Of Null have delivered four monumental studio releases, most recently 2023’s The Loss Of Beauty. Now they return with their latest offering, Beauty Over Europe, a live album which features ten tracks recorded across their 2023 European tour.
Shores Of Null – Beauty Over Europe
Release Date: 9 May 2025
Words: Jools Green
This European tour saw Shores Of Null perform thirty-five shows across eighteen countries, including Norway, Denmark, Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Hungary, with Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and Avatarium.
The live recordings were captured in the cities of Leipzig, Munich, Aschaffenburg, Budapest, and Belfast, with the aim of preserving the raw and emotive energy of those performances.
They have captured this superbly, and although, understandably, you do not quite get the full bottom end of the deeper vocals found in the studio releases, the higher, raw and cleaner ones absolutely ooze passion and emotion.
Instrumentally, I cannot fault Beauty Over Europe either. Each track is delivered with superb musical precision, energy and passion. So whether you caught any of the tours or are just a fan of the studio releases, this offers a chance to experience the sheer emotional intensity of a Shores Of Null live performance.
Reflecting on the experience, vocalist Davide Straccione says, “Our 2023 European tour with Swallow The Sun, Draconian, and Avatarium was one of the most beautiful and intense experiences of my life. Night after night, we poured everything we had into our performances, connecting deeply with audiences across eighteen countries.
“This live album is our way of preserving and sharing that beauty, not only as a gift to those who joined us in the crowd but also for those who couldn’t be there to witness it.”
The live offering is largely taken from The Loss Of Beauty album, but there are also a couple of pieces from their early works. Although the tracks are from different performances to get the very best version of each, they flow superbly as if they were the same performance.
Credit is due to both the band’s consistency in their performances and the people behind the recording, mixing and mastering.
Although I am a big fan of The Loss Of Beauty, my favourite two pieces from this live performance are the earlier pieces. The dark and sombrely powerful Quiescent made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was that impactful for me. The dark, complex crusher Black Drapes For Tomorrow is a very emotive listen.
Largely, I think because of these pieces, I realised I do not listen to nearly enough of their earlier songs compared to their more recent work. So, revisiting these pieces felt extra special.
Beauty Over Europe is a great listen. Heavy, emotive, engaging and well-delivered, Shores Of Null fans will love it.
Shores Of Null release Beauty Over Europe on 9 May 2025 via Sulphur Music / Masked Dead Records. Pre-orders can be made for CD here, while digital options are available from Bandcamp. You will also be able to find the album on Spotify.
A live version of Quiescent, recorded in Munich, is now available on all major streaming platforms and YouTube, accompanied by an exclusive video featuring live and behind-the-scenes footage from the tour.
If you are interested in catching them live, they have an upcoming EU/UK tour happening soon.
30.04 – DE Saalfeld – Klubhaus (w/ Décembre Noir, Praise The Plague)
01.05 – DE Dresden – HD (w/ Décembre Noir)
02.05 – DE Berlin – Walpurgisnacht (w/ And Oceans, Heretoir, Décembre Noir)
03.05 – AT Innsbruck – Abyss Bar
11.05 – IT Verona – Isola Rock (w/ Dark Lunacy)
15.06 – IT Lignano Sabbiadoro – Arena Alpe Adria (w/ In Flames, Lacuna Coil)
30.08 – UK Plymouth – One For Sorrow festival (w/ The Crawling and more)
