Heretoir – Solastalgia
Heretoir – Solastalgia
AOP Records
19/09/2025
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9.5/10
Well, it finally landed in my inbox. The final masters of Heretoir’s upcoming full length album “Solastalgia”. It was almost 2 years to the day that their previous release “Nightsphere” also landed in my inbox. Back then, I was simply curious about how their take on Post-Metal would manifest. I was genuinely blown away by that album and it was one of my releases of 2023. This time though, when “Solastalgia” arrived, I was more than excited and immediately began listening to it, even if it hadn’t turned 6am yet and I hadn’t even made it out of bed! Since then, I’ve dipped in and out of the album multiple times and just cannot stop listening to it! It’s my release of 2025 no doubt so far! So, what makes “Solastalgia” so special?
For me, it represents maturity and sophistication for the band, with this being by far their most complex release to date! Their Post-Metal sound blends multiple sub genres, with their blackened shoe-gaze backbone being the most prominent feature; think Alcest or Deafheaven (this being most prominent in the opening to ‘You are the Night’). The guitars are key to achieving this sound with their stunning glassy tones soaring majestically above the rhythm section that is tight and sharp as ever. The band have since toured with Metalcore legends Killswitch Engage, so I wonder if that’s how a Metalcore influence has creeped into their sound, especially with some tighter breakdowns during ‘The Ashen Falls’. The occasional use of acoustic guitars add a much more aesthetic and gentle dynamic when deployed, especially during the opening passages to ‘Season of Grief’ and ‘Solastalgia’.
The variation in song lengths is interesting too. The band seem to prefer taking the longer route and taking their time to build tension and intrigue, letting ideas develop gradually and slowly without haste. Much like a good stew or Sunday dinner. Sometimes, you just don’t have the patience, and want something quick and easy, like a microwave dinner. Songs like ‘Inertia’ can scratch that itch, delivering a sonic atmospheric blast in less than 4 minutes!
Emotion. The whole album is built upon emotion and is dripping in raw human sentiment. It’s undeniable. It’s intoxicating. After all, the album covers a very sensitive and emotive topic, that of climate change and its impact on the environment. Hence the album’s title, “Solastalgia”, referring to the grief one feels at seeing their world before them deteriorate and die!
Vocalist David ‘Elkatanz’ leads the charge on this with his most devastating performance yet! You can hear the agony in his voice during those wails of anguish, delivering a convincing performance of someone who genuinely is in pain at seeing the world die before him. He can switch it up with some much calmer and soothing cleaner vocals however, with ‘The Same Hell’ being the best example of this. There’s plenty of ear worms and hooks though, which is needed in an 11 track album. Listen to the album’s title track at your own peril, as you may find yourself randomly belting out ‘SOLASTALGIA’ at random intervals; at work, on the tram into town, while doing the laundry. I definitely did!
Sometimes you don’t need lyrics to tell a story though. Just listen to the piano masterclass that is ‘Rain’ to understand this point. Get some tissues ready though!
The production helps to achieve this emotional output with the band’s most sharp and polished production to date. As polished as it is, there’s still just enough grit and roughness to get that raw emotional edge. Some of the soundscapes are simply stunning and sound so huge! I’m listening to this now at the height of summer. Come winter, I’m sure I’ll be listening to this in a nice darkened room with headphones in, having a good ol’ fashioned deep listen, and seeing where my mind will wander with the music of Heretoir guiding the way.
The album is 11 wonderful original… well, actually, the final song is a cover. I recognised it instantly, In Flames’ ‘Metaphor’. To be honest, I found it a little confusing and disappointing as I couldn’t really understand the relevance of it from a thematic point of view. The song tackles the theme of toxic interpersonal relationships; perhaps this extends to how the band views people’s relationship with the environment. I’m not sure. In either case, I honestly think it would have worked better as a stand alone single or just not on the album at all.
This makes it not quite a perfect 10 as an album but make no mistake, I was absolutely enamoured by Heretoir’s work here. The German band are in an interesting point of their career now. They’re a very big small band but also a small big band. As impressive as “Nightsphere”, it wasn’t quite their breakthrough. “Solastalgia” might just be that breakthrough album though! It’s a serious statement of intent and Heretoir’s boldest release to date. It’s a demand to be recognised, and to gain a seat at the top table of post metal royalty. Alongside Alcest, Amenra, Deafheaven, Russian Circles. “Solastalgia” may well be the album to get the band that recognition and to be taken seriously amongst these titans.
If you can’t wait til September, the video to ‘The Ashen Falls’ can keep you satiated until then!
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Ashen Falls
02. Season of Grief
03. You are the Night
04. Inertia
05. Rain
06. Dreamgatherer
07. The Heart of December
08. Burial
09. Solastalgia
10. The Same Hell
11. Metaphor
LINKS:
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