Black Lotus – Sons Of Saturn – Album Review

Barcelona based heavy/epic doom metallers BLACK LOTUS truly are the sons of epic doom metal’s forefathers with their traditional sounds honouring the work of Solitude Aeternus, Solstice and Candlemass.

Featuring former members of Dolmenn (Southern Metal/Stoner Metal) and Flying Renos (Stoner Metal), Black Lotus have predominantly ditched the stoner influences and taken gulps from the cup of traditional metal. The result is pretty damn invigorating, with the satisfying crunch and soaring vocals found on the title track, and particularly on opener “Kings”, offering plenty for the metal classicist to appreciate.

However, the highlight is “Sandstorm”; 10 minutes of sheer majesty and an epic doom metal classic in the making! This is the kind of track which demands hairs to stand on end and is Sons Of Saturn‘s finest and heaviest moment. Arranged in such a manner that make its 10 minutes feel like half the time, “Sandstorm” lives and dies by its chugging doomy-ness, revelling in how it echoes Sabbath, Candlemass and Pagan Altar without once mimicking those pioneers wholesale.

Despite lurking in doom metal territory, much of Sons Of Saturn is rather rousing and you could quite easily draw a connecting line between Cirith Ungol and Candlemass in order to convey the epic metal might of Black Lotus’ sound. While short salvos such as the instrumental “The Pyre” provide breaks from the lengthy compositions which make up the bulk of the album, its undoubtedly the onward march and all-consuming grandeur of “The Swamp” and the aforementioned “Sandstorm” which provide Sons Of Saturn with its most impressive moments.

Heavy, dark and laced with fiendish melody, Black Lotus perfectly encapsulate the era they love and, as love letters go, Sons Of Saturn should be considered an epic doom metal debut of considerable prowess. 8/10

Release: Black Lotus – Sons of Saturn
Format: CD/Digital
Release Date: October 19th 2018
Record label: Inverse Records