REVIEW

The fourth album from German post-black metal band Heretoir.

Originally launched in 2006 as a solo project by David Conrad (Vo/Gt), Heretoir later welcomed Matthias Settele (Ba) and Nils Groth (Dr). The current lineup also includes Kevin Storm (Gt) and Stefan Dietz (Gt). The album title “Solastalgia” combines the words “solācium” (solace) and “algia” (pain), reflecting themes of environmental destruction, loss, and emotional despair.

Compared to its predecessor, the band’s sound feels even more expansive and immersive here, juxtaposing ethereal melodies against towering walls of distortion with remarkable clarity. David Conrad delivers one of the album’s defining performances, seamlessly shifting between fragile clean vocals and emotionally charged screams, adding considerable depth and contrast throughout the record.

Opening tracks #1 “The Ashen Falls” and #2 “Season of Grief” immediately establish the album’s emotional weight. Shoegaze and post-rock delicacy violently collide with the ferocity of black metal, pulling the listener into its world through sorrowful melodies and dramatic dynamic shifts. The drumming is especially impressive, with varied blast beat patterns creating momentum and tension rather than relying solely on sheer intensity.

While the first half is dominated by crushing heaviness and bleak atmospheres, the piano interlude #5 “Rain” marks a gradual shift toward more dreamlike passages reminiscent of Alcest. After the overwhelming darkness of #8 “Burial” and the title track #9 “Solastalgia,” the album slowly begins to reveal faint traces of light beneath the despair.

Despite its nearly hour-long runtime, the album remains compelling throughout, inheriting the ethereal beauty of Alcest and the emotional intensity of Deafheaven while maintaining a richly dynamic sense of progression. This is very much an album meant to be experienced as a complete work, where its thematic core gradually reveals itself over time.

War, environmental collapse, economic instability — faced with the distortions humanity has accumulated over generations, Heretoir’s lament resonates with immense weight. “Solastalgia” functions not only as an elegy for a slowly decaying world, but also as a fragile beacon of hope carrying the faint determination to continue resisting against it. With a European headline tour already announced, hopes for a Japan tour are naturally beginning to grow as well.