ALBUM REVIEW: Eye Of Solitude – Slaves To Solitude

Today I review a band I got to see supporting Lifelover at the reunion show in London, a band I really enjoyed and have caught me during a massive binging of Doom Metal. Without further ado time to review the new Eye Of Solitude album!

1. The Blind Earth features creepy sampling and a generally unnerving atmosphere punctuated by drums and piano notes. The Doom Metal that ensues is both ambient and dragging, heavy as hell and really despairing in sound. It is beautiful, chaotic, woeful and brutal. The title of the album serves it well as the isolation this track feels like is tearjerking in such a raw way.
2. Still Descending once again starts with piano, and some lovely lead guitar and crashing drums. This song almost has an indie like structure with its barrages of hateful and sorrowful Doom. The misery and catharsis behind this track is evident from the off. Plentiful ambient sections and mournful screams, this is truly a track to make the skin crawl.
3. Confinement has a spoken word introduction, a dark and perturbed undertone and as soon as the heavier parts kick in a claustrophobic feeling in a positive way (somehow), it punches and just attacks with such taste. Excellent execution and fantastic tones.
4. The Cold Grip Of Time has such a bleak piano introduction and feels like something out of a dark French horror movie. It is isolated, depraved and beautiful. The Doom Metal continues to deliver blow after blow of sheerly unhappy but glorious music, a true requiem for the lost soul.
5. Boundless Silence follows the pattern of starting with piano, a nice little touch. Probably the only thing I can refer to as “nice” other than the writing, this is not to say anything negative, the instrumentation and vocals are mind-blowing yet simplistic and primitive. The truly dragging and evil feeling is what makes this album great. While it may not be nice or shred-filled, it is atmospheric and bombastic as the band have ever been, and I really like it.

A glorious opus of evil, bleak, isolated and horrific Doom Metal. -8/10