SOLSTITIUM is a doom metal band from France, who formed in 2022. “Morgoth” is their debut full-length album. The band’s sound is varied and combines other elements into their sound such as traditional metal and more extreme elements. The album opens with the band-titled track, which is only an intro. However, it introduces clean elements that sound majestic for the short time they play. “Frozen Gate” is the first full-length song and opens with a harrowing blackened scream, impressive drums and a brutal rhythm section. The blackened death vocals are vicious, working well with the riffs. The clean vocals are just as effective–deep, and ringing out loud and true. The passage afterwards displays the band's penchant for crafting catchy melodies. “Rise of the Dead,” showcases their death metal side not just musically but vocally as well with the use of Deep growls that are also razor sharp. The song throws in a curveball---a sudden clean section with intricate, perhaps even progressive style, drumming and cleans. After a killer solo, the song speeds up, increasing the intensity tenfold.

“Anathema of the Templar” is a personal favorite….the slow to mid paced temple creates a steady groove, highlighted by monastery style vocals. As the song settles into its surroundings, the growls and pummeling drums rip through. The guitars counteract it with a solid melody. A doom metal AMON AMARTH is the vibe I'm getting here….absolutely no complaints about that! “Doomriders” is a rollercoaster of a song, offering a faster paced take on traditional metal in the beginning. Not long after, somber doom slows the tempo down for the mid section but it's thunderous approach returns, pushing the song to its melodic death doom conclusion. The title track is another favorite of mine. I like the gentle clean music and hushed whispers in the beginning. The bouncing rhythms wipe that out, replacing it with music that makes me want to stab someone at a Renaissance fair. This is a banger of a song, especially the double bass which almost vibrated the headphones off my head.

The final song is “Long Live The King,” a somber song that it also filled with rousing energy. The beginning is a catchy segment made of emotional cleans, both with the vocals and instruments. The following segment is melodic doom that retains the catchy cadence but Leads to a darker moment with deep growls. All in all, SOLSTITIUM's “Morgoth” is a solid debut album that shows a band with unlimited potential. Their balance between heavy and light elements, while keeping it catchy and emotional, is impressive.