Solitude Aeturnus
Alone

THE REVIEW

Sixth studio album by the American band, "Alone" summarizes eight years after "Adagio" what the doomsters Solitude Aeturnus had thought and written up to that point. The trend is always the same: the typical doom metal of Candlemass, the powerful granite rhythm section, and the unmistakable voice of singer Robert Lowe, who in 2007 would start a parallel career as a vocalist for Candlemass themselves. Furthermore, as had happened several times in the past, the band underwent a partial lineup change: Steve Moseley left the bass to focus on the guitar due to the departure of Edgar Rivera, who had been a permanent member of the band since their debut. Drummer John Covington was replaced by Steve Nichols, and the bass was taken over by James Martin. All these internal movements contributed to long years of development for what appears today as the last full-length, released by Massacre Records in 2006.

A peculiar characteristic of this album is the "oriental" vein that can be heard in several songs, starting with the opening "Scent of Death": a doom-oriented arpeggio that flows into a powerful riff upon which Lowe's voice settles, as always impeccable. After the nearly ten minutes of "Scent of Death", comes the more direct "Waiting for the Light", also with an oriental-like solo that brilliantly combines with the band from Texas's usual great ability to devastate with rhythms and lyrics in full doom style. "Blessed Be the Dead" represents one of the highlights of the album, with a whispering Lowe, then exploding in his full vocal power, through riffs and more reflective moments.

"Alone" maintains excellent levels with well-constructed songs like "Sightless" and "Upon Within", then returns with "Burning" to the oriental diversions present in a massive way throughout the album. The album concludes with the metallic flow of "Tomorrows Dead" and the calmer "Essence of Black", which closes fittingly a record of great artistic significance. Indeed, it is precisely this work that confirms how much the band has been able to contribute to the doom movement. If in fact, some fans frowned at Adagio, complaining of recycled past ideas, with "Alone" Solitude Aeturnus return to playing that doom which made them so famous in the American metal scene.

A great confirmation then for a cult band of the genre, which managed to release six albums without ever fully devaluing their offer and above all remained faithful to their musical creed, always creating noteworthy albums.

"Alone" is their sixth stamp.

1. "Scent Of Death" (9:40)
2. "Waiting For The Light" (4:39)
3. "Blessed Be The Dead" (5:00)
4. "Sightless" (4:22)
5. "Upon Within" (7:54)
6. "Burning" (8:40)
7. "Is There" (7:59)
8. "Tomorrows Dead" (6:25)
9. "Essence Of Black" (5:34)