It's been a while since I've been quite so floored by a Doom release; not a particular fan of the genre, I lost my patience when it seemed all I ever heard seemed to be in the throes of pioneering excellence, producing album after album of total My Dying Bride cunnilingus. Not these guys. Sweden's Isole - onto album number three - are pure Solitude Aeturnus to the core, with that omnipresent Candlemass groove that peppers the slow burning offensive. There isn't anything here I've never heard before - when is there? - But Isole can pen a dreary tune alright, and with it they craft something that is forceful as well as placating. The songs, like your first shag, are long, slow and painful; but when it's over, you just can't wait for another go. The scope of this work is immense, and layers keep pealing back with each listen, making you work hard for the experience. Yet, "Bliss of Solitude" is exactly that, and if ghostly vocals, echoing percussion and lamenting guitars are your thing, then a weekend with a joint and the lights out might be on the cards if you pick up this bad boy.
