From Bandcamp, SOLILOQUIUM is a Swedish death/doom metal band started in 2011. Our main influences are KATATONIA, ANATHEMA, PARADISE LOST, and OCTOBER TIDE. SOLILOQUIUM has grown from a side project to a full-fledged band, and our musical horizons are expanding beyond death/doom.” The album has nine songs, and “Famine” is first. The clean vocals are both charming and somber at the same time, and the music backs a melancholy feeling for sure. The advent of distorted guitar, however, bring with it the fury of a thunderstorm, and the harsh vocals echo this. “The Healing Process” begins with that church organ that either makes you feel warm, or cold, depending on your personal approach to religion. The music is very emotional, as well as something that anyone can find a connection point with. The make and female clean vocals work so well together.

“Poison Well” like its namesake has deadly tones out of the gate…energetic riffs, and a combination of angry harsh vocals and cleans. The harsh vocals dominate the landscape here as does the heavy structure under the song. “Weight of the Unspoken” swings back the other way again, dripping with solemn tones that suggest loss, or regret. The riff is heavy, and the melody shifts at times. “Imposter Syndrome” carries a good deal of tension with it, and give the tones some time to soak in, and they will. Some of the song’s tones cross over into MeloDeath for me…or perhaps MeloDoom? The song gradually grows in power until a very emotional crescendo at the end…’something’s got to give, something’s got to go,” he declares

“Vigil” is defined as “a period of keeping awake during the time usually spent asleep, especially to keep watch or pray. That is exactly the feeling I get from this song. Emotion run deep until the hurt. “Porcelain” closes the album, and it is known as a hard substance, but also a fragile one, and that is reflected in the music. The clean vocals are firm, but also feel like they could break at any time. That type of balance one of the album’s best features. Overall, this was a fantastic album, that seemed to highlight what several genres can offer the listener…the fury of Death Metal, the melody of MeloDeath, impending feeling of Doom, and all done with a heavy emotional burden that you might not realize until several listens.