Solitude Aeturnus

Solitude Aeturnus is an American epic doom metal^[1] band from Arlington, Texas. Founded by John Perez in early 1987, the original lineup consisted of Perez on guitar, vocalist Kristoff (Christopher) Gabehart, guitarist Tom Martinez, drummer Brad Kane, and Chris Hardin on bass. The name Solitude (later changed to Solitude Aeturnus) was chosen to pay homage to the bands Black Sabbath and Candlemass, both of whom had songs bearing the name "Solitude". Solitude Aeturnus released their debut album "Into the Depths of Sorrow" in 1991 with John Perez and Edgar Rivera on guitars, Robert Lowe on vocals, Lyle Steadham on bass and John Covington on drums. Solitude Aeturnus played with Candlemass in Texas in 1991. Their second and most progressive album, "Beyond the Crimson Horizon", was released in 1992. "Through the Darkest Hour", the band's landmark album, was released in 1994. "Downfall", the band's fourth studio album, was released in 1996. "Adagio", released two years later in 1998, featured Steve Moseley on bass, who replaced Lyle Steadham. Lyle Steadham was the main lyricist of the band until then. The band's final album, "Alone", was released in 2006 with a different lineup, as James Martin took over bass duties, Steve Moseley moved to lead guitar replacing Edgar Rivera, and Steve Nichols replaced John Covington on drums. Following a few concerts in Europe, Solitude Aeturnus went into a long hiatus as singer Robert Lowe took over singing duties in Candlemass.

Their vocalist, Robert Lowe, was also the singer for the doom metal band Candlemass between 2007 and 2012. Former drummer and bassist Lyle Steadham is now guitarist and lead vocalist for the band Ghoultown.

Formed in early 1987, the lineup began when John Perez quit his former seminal thrash metal band, Rotting Corpse. Already a veteran in the metal scene, Perez had grown tired of the limitations of thrash and sought a new sound. A long-time follower of early 1980s classic doom groups like Witchfinder General, St. Vitus, Black Hole, and Nemesis, Perez decided to adopt a doom metal style. Over the next year, Perez assembled a group of musicians: Brad Kane on drums (another member of the early 1980s thrash scene), Kris Gabehardt on vocals (previously with the Satanic death metal band Death Tripper), Tom Martinez on guitar, and Chris Hardin on bass. After writing songs and rehearsing until December 1987, the band entered the studio in January 1988 to record their five-song demo titled "And Justice For All...". This title and demo preceded the Metallica album of the same name by seven months. The band's name at this time was Solitude. Two years later, they were forced to change the name to Solitude Aeturnus.

After the demo's release, the band played various gigs around the local area. The response was lukewarm at best, as few people knew what to make of their sound. In late 1988, changes occurred within the band, resulting in a lineup featuring Perez on guitars, Edgar Rivera on guitars, Robert Lowe on vocals, Lyle Steadham on bass, and John "Wolf" Covington on drums. This lineup remained stable for the next seven years, until 1996. Lyle Steadham initially joined the band as a drummer while Chris Hardin was still on bass. This lineup recorded the band's second official demo, featuring two tracks: "Mirror of Sorrow" and "Opaque Divinity". Lyle then switched to bass after Hardin left the band, and Covington joined on drums.

This two-song tape caught the attention of the independent label King Klassic. The band entered the Dallas Sound Lab in January 1990 to record their debut album, Into the Depths of Sorrow. The entire album was recorded for $3,000 over seven days, including the remix. Shortly after its completion, the album was delayed due to King Klassic not having the funds to release it. After some searching, the album eventually caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, which led to a licensing deal and Solitude Aeturnus signing directly with Roadrunner. Despite numerous delays, the album was finally released in July 1991, a full year and a half after recording. No tours followed, though by this time, the band had already written enough material for a second album. In March 1992, the band entered Sound Logic recording studios to begin work on their second album, Beyond the Crimson Horizon. With a larger budget, the production quality improved. The album was released in July 1992, and a US tour with Paul Di'Anno's Killers was arranged in late November. The six-week tour was a success. However, in February 1993, the band was dropped by Roadrunner. This came as a relief to the band, as they felt Roadrunner had not provided adequate support. In December, the band signed a new recording contract with the emerging label Pavement Records.

To shake things up, the band traveled to England to record their third album, Through the Darkest Hour. Recorded in late March 1994 at Rhythm Studios, this album showcased a simpler and heavier sound.

Through the Darkest Hour received positive reviews globally upon its release in August 1994. After several months of negotiations, the band embarked on an extensive US tour with Mercyful Fate, which lasted six weeks. Following this, they completed their first European tour with the doom band Revelation. After the tour, the band took an extended break until April 1996, when they began recording their next album. During this period, John Perez founded his own label, Brainticket Records, and recorded a solo album under the name The Liquid Sound Company. The next album, Downfall, was recorded in Dallas, Texas. Although it received favorable reviews, the band expressed dissatisfaction with the final product, citing issues with the production quality.

Shortly after the recording of Downfall, Lyle Steadham left the band, citing a desire to explore different musical directions. He later formed the punk band Killcreeps. The band continued by temporarily recruiting Teri Pritchard as bassist. This lineup toured Europe in April 1996 alongside the Swedish power metal band Morgana Lefay. After another break, the band parted ways with Pavement Records. During this time, Steve Moseley, a longtime friend and supporter of the band, replaced Steadham as bassist. In December 1997, the band signed with the German label Massacre Records and recorded Adagio. The album was recorded at Rhythm Studios in England in March 1998 and was released in June of the same year. The band toured Europe in September 1998 with Savior Machine in support of the album. Adagio was released in the US in January 1999 through Olympic Records. The distribution deal with Polygram helped increase the band's visibility in the United States.

The band went on hiatus in 2011 but reunited in 2023, announcing they would perform at the Hell's Heroes festival in March 2024.

Current members

• Robert Lowe – lead vocals (1988–2011, 2023–present)
• John Perez – guitars (1987–2011, 2023–present)
• Edgar Rivera – guitars (1988–1998, 2023–present)
• Steve Moseley - bass (1998–2004), guitars (2004–2011, 2023–present)
• Lyle Steadham – bass (1990–1996, 2023–present), drums (1988–1989)
• John Covington – drums (1990–2005, 2023–present)

Former members

• Kris Gabehart – vocals (1987–1988)
• Tom Martinez – guitar (1987–1988)
• Brad Kane – drums (1987–1988)
• Chris Hardin – bass (1987–1989)
• Teri Pritchard – bass (1997)
• Kurt Joye – bass (2004–2005)
• James Martin – bass (2005–2011)
• Steve Nichols – drums (2005–2011)

Timeline

• Into the Depths of Sorrow (1991) (Reissued and expanded by Massacre records November 2006)
• Beyond the Crimson Horizon (1992) (Reissued and expanded by Massacre records November 2006)
• Through the Darkest Hour (1994)
• Downfall (1996)
• Adagio (1998)
• Alone (2006)

• And Justice for All... (demo, 1988)
• Demo 89 (1989)
• Days of Doom (1994) (VHS tape featuring rare and unreleased performances and studio footage of the recording of their first three albums)
• Hour of Despair (DVD, 2007)
• In Times of Solitude (compilation, 2011)

• Solitude Aeturnus at AllMusic