Into The Depths Of Sorrow＜限定盤＞

Solitude Aeturnus' first album, Into the Depths of Sorrow, arrived at a time -- 1991 -- when American doom metal was finally earning some measure of recognition, thanks to the previously underappreciated work of homegrown champions like Trouble, Saint Vitus, and the Obsessed -- but, ironically, the Texas band's primary influence actually hailed from Sweden! Indeed, Solitude Aeturnus had originally been named simply "Solitude" by founding guitarist John Perez, based on the popular track from Candlemass' classic 1986 debut, Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, and so sonic similarities included the operatic vocals of Robert Lowe and the way epic-sized songs like "Opaque Divinity" and "Transcending Sentinels" alternated typically ponderous doom passages with galloping tempos and even speedy thrash metal bursts. Nevertheless, Solitude Aeturnus' own songwriting acumen within these parameters quickly proved the old dictum that too much of a good thing is rarely a bad thing, thanks to additional creative high watermarks such as "Dream of Immortality," the evocative "White Ship," and the sublimely somber "Mirror of Sorrow." Some listeners may have felt that these songs dragged on for little longer than necessary at times, but not those who took note of the consistently stellar guitar solos traded between Perez and fellow six-stringer Edgar Rivera. And even though the "American Candlemass" tag would ultimately haunt Solitude Aeturnus throughout their career, Into the Depths of Sorrow received enthusiastic blessings from the bulk of doom enthusiasts for the many worthy qualities of its own. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia