Hailing from Texas, the doom band Solitude Aeturnus released their debut Into the Depths of Sorrow on Roadrunner Records in 1991. Drawing inspiration from Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Trouble, St. Vitus, Cirith Ungol, Metallica, and early Fates Warning, Solitude Aeturnus churned out crushing metal that relied on slow & heavy guitar riffs, high pitched vocals, pounding rhythms, and plenty of creepy atmosphere. Now remastered thanks to the folks at Metal Mind Productions and containing some bonus tracks, this exciting debut, by a band that often gets overlooked in the history of doom metal, can now be enjoyed once again.
Fueled by the titanic guitar riffs and expressive solos of John Perez and Edgar Rivera, the eight original songs on Into the Depths of Sorrow bubble and quake with tremendous power and conviction. When tunes such as "Dreams of Immortality" and "Opaque Divinity" come charging out of your speakers, one gets the same feeling as the day that Candlemass' Nightfall hit the scene a few years earlier. Combining the intricacy and mystique of Fates Warning with the power of Candlemass or Trouble, Solitude Aeturnus hit the mark song after song on this debut. Vocally, Robert Lowe had a very different singing style than most metal belters, a somewhat high pitched voice that also treaded a very husky mid-range, giving him a style that really fit the doomy vibe of the music. Given that most of the songs were fairly lengthy, expect plenty of time for the band to rampage around with some heavy riffs, addicting grooves, and blinding guitar solos. Other highlights include the mysterious death march of "Destiny Falls to Ruin", which sees Lowe singing for the heavens, the mammoth power chords of "White Ship" (a song sure to make fans of Sabbath proud), the progressive "Mirror of Sorrow", and the beefy thrash of "Where Angels Dare To Tread", a tune that has "anthem" written all over it. This last one contains some killer drum work from John Covington as well.
The remaster comes in a charming digipack featuring some great cover art by Shawn Carson, with a stacked booklet containing album & band history, plus full lyrics. The bonus demo tracks are a little rough sounding, but good for historical perspective as they show how the band matured in just a few short years. Fans of heavy, doomy hard rock and metal, need this album in their collection.
Track Listing
1. Dawn Of Antiquity (A Return To Despair)
2. Opaque Divinity
3. Transcending Sentinels
4. Dream Of Immortality
5. Destiny Falls To Ruin
6. White Ship
7. Mirror Of Sorrow
8. Where Angels Dare To Tread
9. Opaque Divinity (Demo) (Bonus Track)
10. Mirror Of Sorrow (Demo) (Bonus Track)
11. Transcending Sentinels (Demo) (Bonus Track)
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