Solitude Aeturnus
Downfall

After the extraordinary emotional charge of the masterpiece "Through the darkest hour," the American band Solitude Aeturnus, led by the leader and vocalist Robert Lowe, found themselves in the difficult situation of having to confirm a critical success that had made them one of the major doom bands on the planet. They were therefore in a delicate position, from which the fourth studio album was born in 1996: "Downfall." An album that has several points in common with its predecessor, but at the same time moves away from it in a decisive manner. In "Through the darkest hour," the heavy was set aside in favor of a more pronounced tendency towards pure doom, that in the early Candlemass style. In "Downfall," however, it is the doom vein that is set aside, while heavy becomes the true genre of the platter. The songs shorten, and the heaviness delineated by the six strings decreases. The result is nonetheless of high quality, thanks to the great ability to evoke intense emotional states even in the simplest stylistic coordinates.

This choice to lighten the sound helps to make the album more fluid, facilitating listening and thus smoothing out what had been the only flaw of the previous record. From the first listen, you can perceive greater stability both in the proposal and within the band. Perhaps for the first time, Solitude Aeturnus really thought to lighten the sound and detach from the "classicism" of the previous three albums. A choice perhaps driven by the desire to gain more approval on the record level. The fact remains that Downfall is still an album of absolute value, once again built through songwriting of guaranteed power.

"Phantoms" tears with its distorted arpeggio, just as the more distressed "Chapel of burning", enriched by a great performance behind the microphone by Lowe. Great contribution also from the guitars of Edgar Rivera and John Perez who intertwine their riffs in "Together and wither". There isn't a song that stands out over others but they are all pieces of good craftsmanship that gain something more thanks to the singer's voice. On the other hand, the cover of "Deathwish" by Christian Death is pointless, distant from the canons of the five Americans.

Downfall is an album that confirms the absolute value of the band, although it does not represent the compositional apex of the doomsters. A work born first and foremost from the mind of Robert Lowe, mastermind of the group and true driving force. The rest of the band revolves around him, weaving simple but impactful melodies with class.

It was difficult to reconfirm themselves after the superb previous masterpiece but Solitude Aeturnus have once again managed to bring to light an album compact and well-played that has made them one of the reference points of world doom, particularly in the United States. Congratulations to them.

1. "Phantoms" (5:57)
2. "Only This" (5:25)
3. "Midnight Dreams" (6:05)
4. "Together And Wither" (5:36)
5. "Elysium" (3:08)
6. "Deathwish" (2:15)
7. "These Are The Nameless" (5:24)
8. "Chapel Of Burning" (4:24)
9. "Concern" (6:16)