CD Review: Solitude Aeturnus - Alone

There are so many bands out there that I have yet to discover, I have to wonder if it is ever going to be possible to cover just the bases, without even thinking of delving deeper into each genre's offerings. So far, it seems more likely that I will only ever be able to scratch the surface. Always in motion, always surveying the musical landscape for something different, something new, a wanderer without a home. And this is only in the world of metal, not even getting to other genres that I dabble in. Anyway, if you couldn't guess by the direction this is headed in, this is my first experience with purveyors of fine doom metal Solitude Aeturnus. I have just gotten a hold of thier latest release, Alone, and I have to say that it is an impressive piece of work. If you will forgive a perhaps clumsy analogy, the sound strikes me as a cross between the gothic darkness of Type O Negative and the progressive excess of Dream Theater. A joining of two disparate sounds creating technical dirges into doom and gloom.

Solitude Aeturnus do not construct songs, they design crushingly heavy, deviously slow, impressively technical excursions into darkness. Like a boatman taking you down a river into the moonlit night where you have an idea of where you are going, but you are completely out of control as to how you will get there, think the ferry in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The songs are long, the compositions complex, they have a sneaky way of drawing you in and holding you in thrall. Quite the impressive album. Now, if this is a good example of doom metal, I do not know, what I do know is that I dared them to take me on journey, and the obliged, and in return left me unscathed so I may take the journey again.

Alone is not an album to approach lightly, while each track is distinctly different from the one before, the songs are long, following their own ebb and flow. The songs grow and bring you in, lulling you by their melodic nature. From the opening epic "Scent of Death" to "Sightless" to "Upon Within" to "Is There" there is a lot to absorb in their music. Their are crunchy passages, strong melodies, and everything between are intriguing.

The album doesn't quite reach classic status, but again, there is so much to like here. It is epic music without pretension. It never sounds like they are trying to hard, everything builds organically, kind of like a jam that follows its own direction while retaining strong cohesion. Leading the way is vocalist Robert Lowe (no, not actor Rob Lowe) who has an emotive voice that does not have a large range, nor does he have the growl of a death metal band, but it is one that is haunting in its ability to keep your attention. Close behind are the twin guitars of John Perez and Steve Moseley who offer a lot of interplay between lead breaks and teaming for the heavier sections creating this melodic layer doom. Backing them are newcomers to the band James Martin on bass and Steve Nichols on drums who keep everything moving, particularly Nichols who has some very nice fills and rhythms.

Bottomline. Impressive album. It is one that grows on you, exposing more layers the more you listen to it. A finely composed album of doom that delivers on the technical side as well as the emotional side. As a newcomer to the band, I have no qualms in recommending this as a definite keeper.

Recommended.