Metalcatto
It’s hard to get people’s attention in this era of pathetic short attention spans. It’s even harder to stand out as a German Post/Black Metal band, since so many of them already offer outstanding quality music. But Heretoir has a nerdy trick up its sleeve. It’s not every day I get an album with a freaking Phorusrhacos on the cover—especially one that looks so sombre (like they weren’t terrifying enough already). Now, I’m sure Solastalgia is going to offer uplifting and hopeful tunes, right? One can dream… or just show despair. Both are valid in the Metalsphere.
Describing Solastalgia isn’t difficult for those familiar with Post/Black Metal, to be honest. Take the riffing and emotional turmoil of Harakiri for the Sky and the sensitivity of Kardashev (both of which we’ve covered here and here!), and you get a good idea of how immersive and cathartic Heretoir can become. If Downfall of Gaia had a sunny side, this would be it. Expect long, melancholic passages that make you question the path humankind has taken. This is an album about extinction, after all. The record is in constant movement, avoiding the minimalist stasis that sometimes plagues Post-Metal. It feels vast, expressive, and always evolving.
Solastalgia isn’t an album afraid to show vulnerability. In fact, most of its strongest moments are wrapped in clean vocals and tender melodies, which occasionally bring Alcest to mind. Still, expect the distortion to hit like torrential rain freezing you on the spot. As you know, I almost never highlight lyrics, but the ones here are so painful and bleak they can’t be ignored. They’re simple and direct yet carry a kind of ambiguous poetry that’s rare to find in Metal in general. It’s not easy to be raw and subtle at once, but Heretoir comes close. This is the kind of album where someone might start randomly speaking in French halfway through—but luckily, that doesn’t happen (I think!).
You could ask me, “What do you mean with ‘you think’? Haven’t you listened to the album?” Well, yes, but that’s my biggest bone to pick with Solastalgia—it’s a massive endeavor to take in all at once. At a whopping 63 minutes, it pushes the limits of what I’m willing to tolerate in one sitting. The tracks aren’t short trips either; they carry a lot of nuance, and as enjoyable as they are, you might get lost. Do we really need an In Flames cover and two interlude tracks? That’s the easy fix I’ll offer!
Yet Heretoir easily joins the fight for the best Post-Metal album of the year alongside Ba’al. The music may have the typical issues found in many Post/Black albums, but its honesty and emotional rawness eclipse all of that. This year hasn’t been the best when it comes to Metal so depressing it makes you cry in the shower, but suddenly things are looking good—well, maybe “bad” is the better word—for those of you who, instead of paying for a therapist, think music will solve all your problems. It won’t! But isn’t it comforting to believe that?
Label: AOP records
Release date: 19 September, 2025
Website: https://artofpropaganda.bandcamp.com/album/solastalgia
Country: Germany
Score: 3.7/5.0
Metal Eclipse Reviews 