Metal Mind Reissues More Solitude Aeternus
Date: Friday, February 15 @ 08:08:40 UTC
Topic: Album Release News


Solitude Aeturnus - one of the most respected names in the doom metal field with a style that borrows from classic doom as well as progressive metal. Formed in the spring of 1987, Solitude Aeturnus are still pummeling souls into doom metal submission! Robert Lowe's haunting vocals, unbelievably heavy and slow riffs, strange melodies and sublime compositions - all this complemented by the band's desperate, insane, theatrical yet profoundly personal appeal. This legendary doom metal band from US returns today with two albums re-released by Metal Mind Productions - Through The Darkest Hour and Downfall.

The material taken from the Crash Music archives will be released in a new digipak edition, limited to numerated 2000 copies. Digitally remastered using 24-Bit process on golden disc. Both titles will be available on 3rd March 2008 in Europe.



Through The Darkest Hour - Solitude Aeternus? third full-length release from 1994. Recorded in March in England at Rhythm Studios, the album showed a simpler and heavier direction, proving to be the band's best achievement yet, mainly because of an excellent production and top notch composing. New digipak edition includes 2 bonus tracks recorded during band?s show in Warsaw in February 2007. Downfall - re-release of the fourth album on which Solitude Aeturnus is celebrating again their very own brand of epic, powerful and variable doom metal. With this album the band prove that they have an exceptional place in the doom metal! They have managed to stay true to their roots, but still go through an evolution. New digipak edition includes 1 bonus track recorded during band's show in Warsaw in February 2007.

Tracklist - Through The Darkest Hour:

1. Falling
2. Haunting The Obscure
3. The 8th Day: The Mourning
4. The 9th Day: Awakening
5. Pain
6. Pawns Of Anger
7. Eternal (Dreams Part III)
8. Perfect Insanity
9. Shattered My Spirit

Bonus tracks: Live at Stodola Club, Warsaw, Poland, 12th February 2007

1. The 9th Day: Awakening
2. Pawns of Anger

Tracklist - Downfall:
1. Phantoms
2. Only This (And Nothing More)
3. Midnight Dreams
4. Together And Wither
5. Elysium
6. Deathwish
7. These Are the Nameless
8. Chapel of Burning
9. Concern

Bonus track:

1. Phantoms (live at Stodola Club, Warsaw, Poland, 12th February 2007)

Bio: The band was formed in the spring of 1987 by guitarist John Perez, a few months after he left his previous thrash metal group, Rotting Corpse. Being influenced by power metal bands (Metallica, Jag Panzer, Metal Church, Fates Warning), as well as the early crop of doom metal bands (Candlemass, St. Vitus, Trouble, Pentagram), Solitude Aeternus allowed further inspirations from genres such as psychedelic and 70s hard rock. All this melted into a style which would soon make the band a metal phenomenon.

After a few months of intensive search, the first line-up was finally complete: Brad Kane on drums, Tom Martinez on guitar, Chris Hardin on bass and Kris Gabehardt on vocals. The band soon started playing on local shows and in January 1988 entered Sound Logic Studios to record their first demo tape, called Justice For All (6 months before Metallica released their legendary LP). The tape was "a little rough around the edges" as Perez admits, but enough to showcase a band with a definitely individual style, different than anyone around their area. Solitude Aeternus was quickly recognized as a fascinating novelty on the local metal scene.

Not long after the first demo, the original line-up lost its drummer and vocalist. It took some time for Perez to find the right replacements, but the patience benefited greatly. The new drummer was Lyle Steadham, who also revealed a talent for writing lyrics. As for Gabehardt?s replacement, the band chose Robert Lowe, by then not fully aware that they picked up one of the most gifted doom metal vocalists ever to walk the face of the Earth. Solitude Aeternus was once again ready for action and soon the recording of the second demo begun.

The two-track demo ?Mirror of Sorrow? caught the attention of the independent label King Klassic, who agreed to release the band?s full-length album. In January 1990 Solitude Aeternus entered the prestigious Dallas Sound Lab to record their classic debut, Into The Depths Of Sorrow. Recorded in nearly 7 days (including the remix), for a petty sum of $3000, the album was finally ready for its launch. Unfortunately delays occurred, as King Klassic failed to provide the proper financial support for the release. After shopping for a new record label, Solitude Aeternus eventually singed a contract with Roadrunner Records and after some more complications, Into The Depths Of Sorrow saw the light in July of 1991, a whole year after the recording. But even with all the delays, the debut proved to be worth the patience ? the heavy, yet strangely sublime sound followed by brilliant technique and a gloomy atmosphere, proved that speed is not what counts the most in metal.

In March of 1992 they entered Sound Logic Studios to begin the sessions for their second full-length album, Beyond The Crimson Horizon. The budget for the follow-up was much greater, which resulted in a definite sound improvement. The second LP was released in July of 1992 and surpassed the debut in every aspect, bringing an intelligent, carefully measured doom metal feast, with as much beauty as aggression.

The release of Beyond The Crimson Horizon was followed by a six-week tour with Paul DiAnno?s Killers, which turned out to be a great success for the band. Unfortunately, their cooperation with Roadrunner ended in February 1993. The group singed a new deal in December with an upcoming label, Pavement Records.

Solitude Aeternus' third album awaited its release until August 1994. Recorded in March in England at Rhythm Studios, Through The Darkest Hour showed a simpler and heavier direction, proving to be the band?s best achievement yet, mainly because of an excellent production and top notch composing. The record was promoted with an extensive, six week US tour with metal legends Mercyful Fate. Shortly after that Solitude Aeternus embarked on their first European tour, accompanied by fellow doom band Revelation.

With the end of that tour, the group took a long break, which lasted until April 1996, when the recording of the next album commenced. During that time Perez set up his own label ? Brainticket Records, and recorded a solo album under the name The Liquid Sound Company. Solitude Aeternus' fourth release, Downfall, was recorded in Dallas TX, but despite good reviews, the band was extremely disappointed with the final production, which showed very poor quality. Perhaps that was the main reason for Lyle Steadham to leave the group, which underwent their first (and only) major line-up change. After canceling the deal with Pavement Records, the band finally found a worthy replacement for Steadham ? Steve Moseley, a long time friend and fan of Solitude Aeternus.

The search for a new label ended in Germany with signing on to Massacre Records in December of 1997. The following year brought the group?s unquestionable masterpiece ? Adagio. The official launch of the fifth record was in June of 1998, followed by another European tour along with Savior Machine. The most recent offerings by Solitude Aeternus include their brilliant sixth LP Alone from 2006 and a live DVD entitled Hour Of Despair (released through Metal Mind Productions), recorded in February 2007 during a stunning performance that the band gave in Warsaw, Poland, accompanied by such acts as Onslaught and Vader! The DVD shows that Solitude Aeturnus are still in great shape and can proudly wear the name of one of the best doom metal groups in the history of the genre.

[Source: Metal Mind]







This article comes from ProgressiveWorld.net
http://progressiveworld.net/html

The URL for this story is:
http://progressiveworld.net/html/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=973