Solitude Aeturnus - Beyond the Crimson Horizon (1992)^{Release ID: 1971}

I was so surprised by Solitude Aeturnus' debut album Into the Depths of Sorrow. It took Candlemass' epic doom approach and gave it a mystical element, in the process creating one of the most beautiful albums I've had the pleasure of listening to. It was always going to be difficult for me to approach Beyond the Crimson Horizon with anything but the highest expectations. While I can say straight up that this album doesn't match the debut in my opinion, but it is still a great, entertaining listen.

It's hard to say why I don't think this release matches its predecessor. All the ingredients are the same really, with Lowe's vocals still well and truly the centrepiece of proceedings. There are great riffs throughout the album and the drumming is a fair bit more interesting overall. Some of the leads are awesome and the doom element has been given a boost, but somehow these tracks just don't move me as much as classics like Dream of Immortality, Dawn of Antiquity or Mirror of Sorrow do. I find myself thoroughly enjoying every track, but never being completely overcome with emotion.

All this said, there is no denying that as far as epic doom metal goes, this is still right up there with the best. If you're at all a fan of the Candlemass style of doom, then don't hesitate to pick Beyond the Crimson Horizon up. Highlights for me are Black Castle, Beneath the Fading Sun and Plague of Procreation. Now onto the next Solitude Aeturnus classic, Through the Darkest Hour.

Given my life-long obsession with metal music, it’s perhaps a little surprising (& arguably a touch embarrassing) that it took me as long as it did to truly discover the magic of Dallas-based epic doom metal masters Solitude Aeturnus. I’d always been aware of them but I guess I simply assumed that they wouldn’t be for me, based purely on my early struggles with Candlemass’ more theatrical side. Strangely though, I continued to shun them for decades after I’d overcome my issues with the Swedish gods of the subgenre & it wasn’t until Ben nominated Solitude Aeturnus’ classic 2005 “Alone"sixth album as our September 2022 The Fallen clan feature releases that I became aware of what I’d been missing out on. From that point on, this band has become my favourite epic doom metal artist with their 1991 “Into the Depths of Sorrow” also thoroughly impressing me. It’s long overdue that I then explore Solitude Aeturnus’ magnum opus then, isn’t it, with 1992’s “Beyond the Crimson Horizon” apparently having the potential to usurp the band’s other releases at the top of my top ten for the subgenre based on the common consensus. I’ve been buzzing to see what it has to offer for some time but have been waiting for the right time which would obviously seem to be right now, wouldn't it?

My hopes were very quickly found to hold merit as “Beyond the Crimson Horizon” kicks off with an absolute belter in the classic “Seeds of the Desolate” which I was exposed to some time ago while exploring one of our The Fallen clan Spotify playlists. I remembered it very clearly upon being reminded of that experience this week too which says something about its impact & significance. Interestingly though, that song isn’t really a doom metal track at all with it’s more up-beat tempo, epic atmosphere & driving riffage representing a very clear example of the US power metal model in my opinion. I absolutely love it too just quietly. The production job is perfect for this style of metal, providing all of the necessary room for the expansive atmospheric, melodic & occasionally progressive creative exploration the band have become known for. Extraordinarily talented front man Robert Lowe absolutely soars on every track & single-handedly manages to keep proceedings on track even when some of the riffs start to head into a more generic territory. He really is an enigma & is the clear element that gives Solitude Aeturnus their edge over the competition. The lead guitar work of Edgar Rivera & John Perez is nothing to be scoffed at either though as these dudes can shred with the best of them, their tones being something to behold too.

Things settle down significantly after the elite opener but never deviate from a rock-solid quality level, thanks largely to Lowe’s contribution. Some of the tracks in the back end of the A side took me a few listens to truly connect with & that seems to be a common theme with Solitude Aeturnus records which are heavily driven by the vocal hooks which dig their talons in deeper with each subsequent listen. The end of the album is utterly devastating though with the one-two punch of “Plague of Procreation” & crushingly heavy instrumental closer “Beyond…” leaving me feeling as though I’ve experienced something of great significance once it’s all over & battling with the temptation to simply do it all over again.

As much as I enjoy Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus reach another level altogether in my opinion as all of the elements that I enjoy about the Swedes have been further emphasized & are capped off with one of the great singers in metal history. I think this is not only the best Solitude Aeturnus’ record I’ve heard to date but I’d suggest that it may well be the pinnacle of the epic doom metal sound overall too. "Beyond the Crimson Horizon" is about as essential as it gets for fans of the classic doom sound.

For fans of Candlemass, Solstice & Isole.