UMUR "Justice for All" is an EP release by US, Arlington, Texas based doom metal act Solitude Aeturnus. The EP was released through Doomed Planet Records in 2000. "Justice for All" doesn´t feature contemporary original material though, as it´s sort of a compilation, featuring 6 tracks from the band´s two pre-album demos "And Justice For All... (1988)" (originally released under the Solitude monicker) and "Demo 1989)". 5 tracks from the former and 1 track from the latter. So "Justice for All" is basically a reissue of the "And Justice For All... (1988)" demo with a bonus track. Some of the material featured on the two original cassette tape demos would appear in re-recorded versions on subsequent studio albums.

Stylistically the music on the EP is epic doom metal and Trouble and especially Candlemass are valid references. The tracks from the "And Justice For All... (1988)" demo features Kristoff Gabehart on vocals while "Opaque Divinity (3/89)" from "Demo 1989)" features Robert Lowe. The latter is a strong vocalist and the Solitude Aeturnus singer who most people probably know as he performs on the "classic" studio albums by the band. Kristoff Gabehart is not without skills though and while his low register singing/talking type vocals aren´t the most appealing, his more powerful and majestic vocals are of a good quality.

The material are well written heavy doom metal tunes packed in an epic atmosphere. There are occasional nods toward traditional heavy metal and thrash metal in the music too. Considering that the tracks are demo material from 1988-89 the sound quality is relatively well sounding. The guitars are slightly thin sounding and there´s a bit too much reverb on the drums, but other than that the EP is well produced.

So upon conclusion "Justice for All" is well worth a listen if you´re a fan of Solitude Aeturnus. The more casual listener is recommended starting with the "regular" studio albums. With that said the quality of the material featured on this EP is still so high, that a 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Warthur Displaying, to my ears, a little more influence from more mainstream heavy metal and hardwork than Solitude Aeturnus displayed on their previous two albums (which were more in the vein of Candlemass-esque traditional doom metal), Through the Darkest Hour actually benefits from this, being able to provide some good old doom and gloom on the one hand whilst being sufficiently varied to help retain the listener's interest on the other. They'd fairly soon revert to a more purist underground style, but this release did pave the way for more variation in their sound, which the subsequent Downfall would benefit from - having expanded their sound here, the group made more precedent for their inclusion of a Christian Death cover there, for example.

Warthur The latest Solitude Aeturnus album sees the band incorporating a few world music motifs here and there into their melancholic epic doom metal approach (particularly in the guitar work). Once again, comparisons to Candlemass are apt - indeed, Rob Lowe would take up his stint as the lead singer of Candlemass shortly after the completion of this album - but it's surprising how the incorporation of a few musical influences from other cultures can save the album from becoming overly formulaic. It's yet another winner in the Solitude Aeturnus discography, and comes highly recommended for fans of purist doom metal in the best tradition of Candlemass.

Warthur The fourth Solitude Aeturnus album is an absolutely fantastic listen from a band who sound so much more confidence and self-assured here than on their first two albums. Aside from Deathwish - a cover of a classic-era Christian Death song which is very true to the rough, dirty, punkish original - the name of the game here is depressive doom metal inspired by Sabbath and Candlemass, with powerful vocals verging on the operatic by the magnificent Robert Lowe. So, not a radical departure from the band's usual formula - just an exceptionally skilled application of it which any doom metal fans will be well-advised to give a listen to.

Warthur Beyond the Crimson Horizon continues Solitude Aeturnus' trajectory as standard-bearers for the Candlemass school of operatic metal. It would be wrong to write albums such as this as Rob Lowe's audition tapes for the frontman role he eventually won in Candlemass, however; it's also an engagingly gloomy and melancholy piece of doom metal in its own right. More or less on a par with the debut album, Beyond the Crimson Horizon might not show a huge amount of musical growth but it's still a good listen for fans of this particular strand of doom metal, and an especially good album for fans of Candlemass.