There is something really different and unique about Aesthetica’s approach to Doom Metal. That’s not to say that they’re backing down at all from the heaviness on their début Sonorous Aeon (Esetiske Studio), it’s just the Doom comes in many forms and there are elements of Prog Rock and even some Blues, particularly in the often brilliant guitar work.

Opening track ‘Haze’ is an absolutely perfect start in every way and sets the tone immediately, a track that will make the more seasoned Doom metal veterans feel right at home, almost as if the band want to ease people in with some great Black Sabbath style riffage that just continues to pound and mesmerize all at once. ‘Todesfuge’ and ‘La Paz’ follow and bring even more variation to the sounds of the album, acting almost as one complete song, with the former being a more sinister almost brooding track replete with a pounding drum rhythm and a feel and tone not unlike latter-day Opeth. The latter is an absolute beast of a song with a more prolonged runtime but does not outstay it’s welcome with a build and pay off to rival the best bands in the genre.

‘Worshipper’ brings back the Sabbath feels once more and is a real triumph for Aesthetica musically. It is also the one time where the vocals really made impact for me on the entire album. This is the real issue I have, the vocals just don’t have enough power to complement some of the music. Melody isn’t an issue, it’s here in spades, the vocals just don’t bring enough to overall sound to make the songs go that extra distance.

Sonourous Aeon is a real statement of a debut album showing a band willing to push the boundaries of Doom Metal as we know it and their songs have real breadth and depth in terms of musicality, now if they can tweak those vocals next time round we could have something special on our hands.

7.5/10

KIERAN MITCHELL