#solitudeaeturnus — Public Fediverse posts

Anchorite – Realm of Ruin Review

By Steel Druhm

2025 has not given me nearly enough epic doom. I need a lot of that stuff to offset my obsession with sub-basement phlegm-death, or my entire equilibrium starts to go pear-shaped and fall off the tracks. Luckily, international collective Anchorite are on the job with their sophomore opus, Realm of Ruin. Using the tried-and-trve sound profile of Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, Crypt Sermon, and Sorcerer, all the key landmarks are present, with heavy riffs, powerful vocals, and a sense of melancholy lurking behind the iron fistery. What gives Anchorite a leg up is a sizeable dose of testosterone and machismo in their doom chowder. They borrow from acts like Pale Divine and Argus and aim to kick you in the nether regions even as they harsh your mellow emotionally. Is that the sort of dual-tracked abuse you want from your metal? If so, follow me to the punishment area.

The gates open wide on the opening title track to reveal a powerful, punchy sound with burly riffs pushing the song forward as Leo Stivala (Forsaken, Pagan Altar) delivers manly, rough-hewn bellows and plaintive, somber tones as the moment requires. This is almost like vintage Iced Earth doing epic doom, and honestly, it works pretty damn well. Better still is “The Lighthouse Chronicles,” which takes you on a moody, emotional voyage over 7-plus minutes with hooks deployed expertly along the way to snare your ear. It’s plenty mournful and forlorn, but the epic energy crackles just below the surface and the riffs are meaty and forceful. The chorus is immediately memorable, supported by dour riffing that reeks of Paradise Lost. Add an intriguing midpoint segment that screams introspective Nevermore, and it’s clear Anchorite are onto something. Through it all, Stivala moves adroitly from rougher tones to weepy sadboi wails, convincing at all times. Showing Anchorite’s range, “Devil on the Throne” shifts to muscular, bluesy biker doom like Place of Skulls and Pale Divine. It’s less direct, more classically doomy, and 70s Sabbath jam-intensive. It checks all the boxes, and Stivala once again channels Warrel Dane’s potent spirit to good effect.

If things had slipped a bit on the album’s back half, I’d still be pretty impressed with Realm of Ruin. Instead, you get shellacked by the majesty and might of “The Apostate’s Prayer,” which is half vintage Candlemass, half Sorcerer, and all badass. The guitar work here is stellar, and Stivala ups his game significantly for a vocal tour de force running across misery, grief, and soul-killing inner conflict. His despondent cries of “I have fallen so far” will give you goose bumps and pierce your cold, dead heart. This tune is aces. Closer “Kingdom Undone” is another big moment with a gripping chorus that blends classic metal, doom, and just a hint of power cheese for something extra hooky. It reminds me of the material on Human Fortress’ stellar Defenders of the Crown, but with a melancholic sheen slathered over everything. There are no duds here, and every track brings something interesting to the table, though they don’t all reach the same peaks as the aforementioned highlights. A few tracks suffer from slight bloating around the edges, but at 54 minutes, Realm of Ruin doesn’t feel overlong, nor would I want to see any selections cut.

I’m quite impressed with Leo Stivala’s performance. He mixes forceful Jorn-esque bellows with effectively downcast classic doom singing and switches up his delivery enough to provide surprises and meet the material where it is. He’s got some of the same charm and appeal as Crypt Sermon’s Brooks Wilson, and also reminds one of Robert Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus) at times. Then there are the scattered Warrel Dane bits. Not bad company to find oneself in. Matching Stivala at each step is the guitar work by Martin Andersen. He blends classic heavy metal tropes with all the expected epic doom sounds and brings in touches of power metal to round out the experience. He delivers emotional moments in his solos and harmonies while keeping things heavier than one might expect. Impressive showing in all phases.

Realm of Ruin is one of those albums you enjoy on the first go-through, and with each spin, it reveals more of itself until you’re fully submerged in the band’s craftwork. Anchorite have writing chops, and Realm comes fairly close to reaching the upper levels of doom glory. As it stands, it’s an immersive stroll through the ruins with moments of genuine brilliance and grandeur. I’ll be watching these cats closely because their potential is writ large. A happy surprise and well recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Personal Records
Website: facebook.com/anchoritedoom
Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2025

#2025 #35 #Anchorite #Argus #Aug25 #Candlemass #CryptSermon #DesolateRealm #DoomMetal #EpicDoomMetal #InternationalMetal #PaleDivine #RealmOfRuin #Review #Reviews #SolitudeAeturnus #Sorcerer

Endonomos – Endonomos II – Enlightenment Review

By Steel Druhm

There’s something extra satisfying about gambling on a completely unknown act in the promo sump and being handsomely rewarded for the biscuit risk. Austria’s Endonomos describe themselves as “epic doom” and on their sophomore outing, Endonomos II – Enlightenment, they unveil a shockingly mature and intoxicating blend of classic doom, post-metal, and death that’s powerful, emotional, and captivating. Part Solitude Aeturnus, part Fvneral Fvkk, part Ghost Brigade and Darkest Era, Endonomos II marries doom’s past with the present in ways that feel organic and unforced, natural and logical. Cobbling together so many successful doom tropes from across multiple genre variants isn’t easy, but Endonomos forge long songs that flow effortlessly, shifting moods and textures as influences intertwine and coalesce into beautiful sadness and elegant despair. Enlightenment indeed!

You won’t wait long to be impressed either. 9-minute opener “Inversion” is a massive mission statement by Endonomos, delivering everything a doom fancier could ask for and MOAR. Beginning in classic doom style with big riffs and forlorn noodling with hints of prime Katatonia, things shift toward post-rock melodoom akin to Ghost Brigade with chillingly plaintive clean vocals scarring your soul before shifting into booming low register death roars that shake the foundations of burden. The guitars trill funerary lines and weep openly around whatever gravesite your mind manufactures and everything feels so sweetly morose. The song’s half over before you realize it, and you won’t want it to end, such is its depressive allure. Doom perfection. “Atheon Anarkhon” is darker and more dissonant with harsh edges protruding at every turn and death croaks leading the charge until despondent Patrick Walker-esque wailing vocals join the fray. This is more death doom than doom-death and it feels massive and crippling. The last few minutes truly blossom with the achingly forlorn cleans coming forward to spread grief as epic guitar lines borrow from While Heaven Wept to push the song to that next level of awesome.

My first thought upon hearing “Resolve” was that it could be a lost track from Fvneral Fvkk’s masterpiece Carnal Confessions. The way the vocals play off the despairing harmonies is very much the same and the vocals themselves are very reminiscent of the brilliant performance by Simon Schorneck (Cantor Cinedicus). Certain moments remind me of vintage Solitude Aeturnus as well and the guitar work is stunning and beautiful throughout. Ahab’s Daniel Droste provides guest vocals on “Hostile” and the mix of traditional Candlemass / Solitude Aeturnus style doom and modern flavors like Khemmis and Swallow the Sun is expertly realized for another major triumph of the broken heart. All six tracks deliver the rich, anguished goods and depression hasn’t sounded this good to me in a while. At no point do the songs feel bloated or in need of trimming though three of the six push well past 8 minutes. The album’s 48-plus minutes seem to vanish in a blip, making you feel like you lost time somewhere. That’s a sign of high-quality writing.

I’m very taken with the vocals by Lukas Haidinger. He channels a lot of genre heavyweights like Rob Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus), Krum (Darkest Era), Patrick Walker (40 Watt Sun, Warning) and Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun) and that’s fine company to find oneself in. His ability to sound despondent is a rare gift and his death vocals are top-shelf. He sells the songs like they’re sketchy junkers at a disreputable used car lot and you’ll buy in, with or without complementary undercoating. His bass work is also excellent, providing an ever-present and essential low-end rumble to the proceedings. Philipp Forster and Christoph Steinlechner bring a wealth of doom worship and technical acumen to the album, moving through the years to borrow the best bits from the biggest champions. You hear morose strumming from the Katatonia / Rapture schools sitting next to classic crunching and post-metal/post-rock minimalist wallowing and it all fuses seamlessly. Their riffs are crushing when they should be and the solos are poignant, elegant, and bewitching.

Endonomos find that elusive sweet spot between heavy and melodic and craft a collection of songs that allows them to punch far above their weight. Endonomos II – Enlightenment is easily one of the best doom albums of 2024 and one of the best of the last few years. If 2024 has yet to deliver the doom your masochistic heart longs for, this is it. Don’t miss the Endorama.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 319 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta
Websites: endonomos.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/endonomos | instagram.com/endonomos
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #40 #ArgonautaRecords #AustrianMetal #DarkestEra #DoomMetal #Endonomos #EndonomosIIEnlightenment #FvneralFvkk #GhostBrigade #Katatonia #Rapture #Review #Reviews #SolitudeAeturnus #SwallowTheSun #Votum

Endonomos – Endonomos II – Enlightenment Review

By Steel Druhm

There’s something extra satisfying about gambling on a completely unknown act in the promo sump and being handsomely rewarded for the biscuit risk. Austria’s Endonomos describe themselves as “epic doom” and on their sophomore outing, Endonomos II – Enlightenment, they unveil a shockingly mature and intoxicating blend of classic doom, post-metal, and death that’s powerful, emotional, and captivating. Part Solitude Aeturnus, part Fvneral Fvkk, part Ghost Brigade and Darkest Era, Endonomos II marries doom’s past with the present in ways that feel organic and unforced, natural and logical. Cobbling together so many successful doom tropes from across multiple genre variants isn’t easy, but Endonomos forge long songs that flow effortlessly, shifting moods and textures as influences intertwine and coalesce into beautiful sadness and elegant despair. Enlightenment indeed!

You won’t wait long to be impressed either. 9-minute opener “Inversion” is a massive mission statement by Endonomos, delivering everything a doom fancier could ask for and MOAR. Beginning in classic doom style with big riffs and forlorn noodling with hints of prime Katatonia, things shift toward post-rock melodoom akin to Ghost Brigade with chillingly plaintive clean vocals scarring your soul before shifting into booming low register death roars that shake the foundations of burden. The guitars trill funerary lines and weep openly around whatever gravesite your mind manufactures and everything feels so sweetly morose. The song’s half over before you realize it, and you won’t want it to end, such is its depressive allure. Doom perfection. “Atheon Anarkhon” is darker and more dissonant with harsh edges protruding at every turn and death croaks leading the charge until despondent Patrick Walker-esque wailing vocals join the fray. This is more death doom than doom-death and it feels massive and crippling. The last few minutes truly blossom with the achingly forlorn cleans coming forward to spread grief as epic guitar lines borrow from While Heaven Wept to push the song to that next level of awesome.

My first thought upon hearing “Resolve” was that it could be a lost track from Fvneral Fvkk’s masterpiece Carnal Confessions. The way the vocals play off the despairing harmonies is very much the same and the vocals themselves are very reminiscent of the brilliant performance by Simon Schorneck (Cantor Cinedicus). Certain moments remind me of vintage Solitude Aeturnus as well and the guitar work is stunning and beautiful throughout. Ahab’s Daniel Droste provides guest vocals on “Hostile” and the mix of traditional Candlemass / Solitude Aeturnus style doom and modern flavors like Khemmis and Swallow the Sun is expertly realized for another major triumph of the broken heart. All six tracks deliver the rich, anguished goods and depression hasn’t sounded this good to me in a while. At no point do the songs feel bloated or in need of trimming though three of the six push well past 8 minutes. The album’s 48-plus minutes seem to vanish in a blip, making you feel like you lost time somewhere. That’s a sign of high-quality writing.

I’m very taken with the vocals by Lukas Haidinger. He channels a lot of genre heavyweights like Rob Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus), Krum (Darkest Era), Patrick Walker (40 Watt Sun, Warning) and Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun) and that’s fine company to find oneself in. His ability to sound despondent is a rare gift and his death vocals are top-shelf. He sells the songs like they’re sketchy junkers at a disreputable used car lot and you’ll buy in, with or without complementary undercoating. His bass work is also excellent, providing an ever-present and essential low-end rumble to the proceedings. Philipp Forster and Christoph Steinlechner bring a wealth of doom worship and technical acumen to the album, moving through the years to borrow the best bits from the biggest champions. You hear morose strumming from the Katatonia / Rapture schools sitting next to classic crunching and post-metal/post-rock minimalist wallowing and it all fuses seamlessly. Their riffs are crushing when they should be and the solos are poignant, elegant, and bewitching.

Endonomos find that elusive sweet spot between heavy and melodic and craft a collection of songs that allows them to punch far above their weight. Endonomos II – Enlightenment is easily one of the best doom albums of 2024 and one of the best of the last few years. If 2024 has yet to deliver the doom your masochistic heart longs for, this is it. Don’t miss the Endorama.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 319 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta
Websites: endonomos.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/endonomos | instagram.com/endonomos
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #40 #ArgonautaRecords #AustrianMetal #DarkestEra #DoomMetal #Endonomos #EndonomosIIEnlightenment #FvneralFvkk #GhostBrigade #Katatonia #Rapture #Review #Reviews #SolitudeAeturnus #SwallowTheSun #Votum

Endonomos – Endonomos II – Enlightenment Review

By Steel Druhm

There’s something extra satisfying about gambling on a completely unknown act in the promo sump and being handsomely rewarded for the biscuit risk. Austria’s Endonomos describe themselves as “epic doom” and on their sophomore outing, Endonomos II – Enlightenment, they unveil a shockingly mature and intoxicating blend of classic doom, post-metal, and death that’s powerful, emotional, and captivating. Part Solitude Aeturnus, part Fvneral Fvkk, part Ghost Brigade and Darkest Era, Endonomos II marries doom’s past with the present in ways that feel organic and unforced, natural and logical. Cobbling together so many successful doom tropes from across multiple genre variants isn’t easy, but Endonomos forge long songs that flow effortlessly, shifting moods and textures as influences intertwine and coalesce into beautiful sadness and elegant despair. Enlightenment indeed!

You won’t wait long to be impressed either. 9-minute opener “Inversion” is a massive mission statement by Endonomos, delivering everything a doom fancier could ask for and MOAR. Beginning in classic doom style with big riffs and forlorn noodling with hints of prime Katatonia, things shift toward post-rock melodoom akin to Ghost Brigade with chillingly plaintive clean vocals scarring your soul before shifting into booming low register death roars that shake the foundations of burden. The guitars trill funerary lines and weep openly around whatever gravesite your mind manufactures and everything feels so sweetly morose. The song’s half over before you realize it, and you won’t want it to end, such is its depressive allure. Doom perfection. “Atheon Anarkhon” is darker and more dissonant with harsh edges protruding at every turn and death croaks leading the charge until despondent Patrick Walker-esque wailing vocals join the fray. This is more death doom than doom-death and it feels massive and crippling. The last few minutes truly blossom with the achingly forlorn cleans coming forward to spread grief as epic guitar lines borrow from While Heaven Wept to push the song to that next level of awesome.

My first thought upon hearing “Resolve” was that it could be a lost track from Fvneral Fvkk’s masterpiece Carnal Confessions. The way the vocals play off the despairing harmonies is very much the same and the vocals themselves are very reminiscent of the brilliant performance by Simon Schorneck (Cantor Cinedicus). Certain moments remind me of vintage Solitude Aeturnus as well and the guitar work is stunning and beautiful throughout. Ahab’s Daniel Droste provides guest vocals on “Hostile” and the mix of traditional Candlemass / Solitude Aeturnus style doom and modern flavors like Khemmis and Swallow the Sun is expertly realized for another major triumph of the broken heart. All six tracks deliver the rich, anguished goods and depression hasn’t sounded this good to me in a while. At no point do the songs feel bloated or in need of trimming though three of the six push well past 8 minutes. The album’s 48-plus minutes seem to vanish in a blip, making you feel like you lost time somewhere. That’s a sign of high-quality writing.

I’m very taken with the vocals by Lukas Haidinger. He channels a lot of genre heavyweights like Rob Lowe (Solitude Aeturnus), Krum (Darkest Era), Patrick Walker (40 Watt Sun, Warning) and Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun) and that’s fine company to find oneself in. His ability to sound despondent is a rare gift and his death vocals are top-shelf. He sells the songs like they’re sketchy junkers at a disreputable used car lot and you’ll buy in, with or without complementary undercoating. His bass work is also excellent, providing an ever-present and essential low-end rumble to the proceedings. Philipp Forster and Christoph Steinlechner bring a wealth of doom worship and technical acumen to the album, moving through the years to borrow the best bits from the biggest champions. You hear morose strumming from the Katatonia / Rapture schools sitting next to classic crunching and post-metal/post-rock minimalist wallowing and it all fuses seamlessly. Their riffs are crushing when they should be and the solos are poignant, elegant, and bewitching.

Endonomos find that elusive sweet spot between heavy and melodic and craft a collection of songs that allows them to punch far above their weight. Endonomos II – Enlightenment is easily one of the best doom albums of 2024 and one of the best of the last few years. If 2024 has yet to deliver the doom your masochistic heart longs for, this is it. Don’t miss the Endorama.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 319 kbps mp3
Label: Argonauta
Websites: endonomos.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/endonomos | instagram.com/endonomos
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024

#2024 #40 #ArgonautaRecords #AustrianMetal #DarkestEra #DoomMetal #Endonomos #EndonomosIIEnlightenment #FvneralFvkk #GhostBrigade #Katatonia #Rapture #Review #Reviews #SolitudeAeturnus #SwallowTheSun #Votum