From the icy Finnish lands emerges a new disturbing creature called Solothus. In fact, No King Reigns Eternal is the second full length, which follows about three years the previous Summoned From The Void, so you can not talk about a band in its infancy, but it is clear that this excellent new work could expand the number of its admirers. The death doom of Solothus is unbalanced in a clear way on the first of the two components, especially in the first part of the work, where in The Betrayer and in the title track Morbid Angel (Covenant era) or Asphyx moods are predominant, so here the melody is confined to the excellent interventions of the lead guitar that often correspond to the moments when the sound slows down to become suffocating. The growl of Kari Kankaanpää leaves no room for misunderstandings, clean vocals are completely banished and the cavernous grunt is perfectly functional to the final result of the work. The pairing Darkest Stars Aligned and Malignant Caress brings the sound towards the darkest and lumpiest feeling of bands like Evoken, while Towers In The Mist seems more oriented to a classic doom, with its sabbathian tones amply strengthened in their progression. The Winds Of Desolation closes the album in the best way: the only one to exceed 10 minutes in length, the track is supported by a relatively catchy guitar line without losing the impact and the intensity constantly characterizing the sound of Solothus. No King Reigns Eternal is really an excellent album, thanks to an optimal sound performance that enhances a writing in the bed of tradition, but always convincing in its coexistence in a fluid way the ferocity of death and the heaviness of doom.

2016 – Doomentia Records