By: Tordah

Posted: Jun 5, 2006

The Danish doom giants Saturnus have finally returned with a new and long awaited opus. There have been some line-up changes over the years but the music still sounds very much like older Saturnus that we've come to know and like. "Veronika Decides To Die" does showcase some new elements as well but all the core elements of Saturnus it still present after all these years. The album should please doomsters who enjoy the beautiful and emotional side of doom metal. “Veronika Decides To Die” is not raw and dirty, neither is it dark and depressing. Think more along the lines of Draconian and the November's Doom album "Of Sculptured Ivy And Stone Flowers" and you have a slight idea of what it sounds like. 
 
The album starts off with the incredible 'I Long' and its beautiful piano intro. It doesn't take long before the guitars, drums and bass are introduced, showcasing the powerful production of the album. The atmosphere is thick and all the instruments sound great together. A sombre aura of sadness surrounds the whole album that takes you on an emotional journey through the world of Saturnus. 'I Long' is the longest journey on the album, clocking in at almost 11 minutes. There are many different parts in the song but the band has managed to create a natural progression between them. The track is brilliantly rounded off with the same piano melody that opened the song.
 
The absolute highlight of the album comes early. The second track 'Pretend' is a masterpiece and one of the most beautiful compositions I've heard in a long time. It starts off rather typical with mid-paced riffs and melodies as well as some semi-harsh vocals. Then there's an instrumental breakdown after 3 minutes or so that slows down the tempo significantly. Some sparse notes are being played on the piano and guitar, yet it sounds absolutely stunning and beautiful. A few spoken lines take place before the song ventures into the next stunning passage where there's a melody change and the drums enter with a very fitting rhythm played on the tom-toms. This goes on for a while before the song erupts into an amazing and powerful guitar-solo. Then it goes back to a melody similar to the first one but this time it's being played on the guitar and is backed up by all the other instruments as well. I can't describe with words how amazingly well these last parts flow into each other. Incredibly beautiful.
 
Unfortunately the rest of the album never reaches the same heights as on the first two songs. Not that the other songs are bad, they just feel weaker compared to 'I Long' and 'Pretend'. It also gets a bit repetitive when you notice that they basically follow the same formula for every song. Heavy verses and choruses with growls and then a beautiful instrumental breakdown part thrown in somewhere. I even wish that there were more of the softer parts because most of them are incredible. "Veronika Decides To Die" may not be the milestone many had hoped for. It may not even be best Saturnus album since most people consider "Paradise Belongs To You" to be practically unbeatable. I know I'm one of those. Still, it's a worthy addition to any doom metal collection. I just hope we don’t have to wait another 6 years before the next release.

Rating: 8/10

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