Album Review: Aeternal Abyss by Crimson Tower (Morbid and Miserable Records)

Brazilian doom metal trio, Crimson Tower will release their debut album, Aeternal Abyss, on the 18th of March via Morbid and Miserable Records.

Getting their start in 2018 using the name Eternal Abyss the band quickly found their sordid style, but after a handful of demos they took up the new mantle of Crimson Tower. Drawing inspiration from both old-school doom and classic heavy metal the three-piece has created a dusky treasure in their first full-length release Aeternal Abyss. The album saw a limited CD release by Cianeto Discos in late 2021 and now Morbid And Miserable Records is bringing it to a wider audience with cassette tapes and a digital release coming on March 18 2022. The São Paulo, Brazil based trio draw inspiration from both old-school doom and classic heavy metal. They have been likened to bands like Pagan Altar, Pentagram and Candlemass which is high praise indeed.

Crimson Tower are Cocytus on bass and vocals, Acheron on drums and Stygis on guitar and vocals.

Aeternal Abyss comes with 6 tracks of dirty riffing and punchy groove starting with Eternal Abyss. We get underway with a thick and infectious riff with a steady drum beat that instantly gets your head nodding along. The vocals join in and are a surprise at first. They deliver power and passion but also while occasionally hitting some pretty high notes. The singers have range. Overall the music has a raw feel and minimalistic production though it definitely suits this style of music. It makes it feel more like a live recording than a studio album. A wicked guitar solo takes the lead while that same repetitive riff hammers home the message. A very strong start.

That continues into Sacrificial Witch which starts off with a glorious bit of harmonising between the guitars and bass – it descends into a riff that is catchy at first but a lead guitar section that sits over the top feels a little chaotic and not really in the right place. We settle down with a nice rhythm and a speedy vocal delivery that again sees me find myself headbanging along happily. The chorus is cool – a real switch up and an old school prog feel with multiple layers of vocals adding impact. I love the added menace to the vocals in the verses in particular and a sped up section at the end that leads into a fiery solo is excellent.

Witching Me keeps the consistency with having an intro that catches you pretty quickly. The same bassy, deep tones ring out but it is so easy to listen to and so easy to get in to. The vocals are good and little changes in pace keep the song feeling fresh though it is a very long song. Being well over 8 minutes, with these same tones on the guitars does occasionally make the song feel repetitive unfortunately. It doesn’t really become too much of  a problem on here, or on Aeternal Abyss overall, mainly due to the different ranges of vocals on offer and enough transitions in songs to hold repetition mostly at bay. In Witching Me, for example, the sudden drop down into acoustic melody is both a surprise and a treat.

She’s Dying Away From Me has a sombre start with clear ringing deep melody before switching into a familiar grooving riff. I really like the structure of this track, the way the vocals are delivered is very nice to listen to. The multiple levels of vocals in the chorus are superb and the sudden stops in the song add an extra layer of excitement. It is another long enough track but you hardly notice the time go by as you get lost in the catchy riffs, dark melody and amazing solo. This is my favourite song on the album so far. Amazing.

Candelabrum follows and doesn’t quite hit the heights of the previous song. It’s still very decent and sits nicely on Aeternal Abyss hitting with a slow groove and plenty of chunky riffs. Vocals are good and there are nice moments that excite. The transition with a bit of guitar noodling into a speedier section is really cool and again there is a very good solo. It just blends in a bit with the rest of the album and doesn’t really manage to get it’s own identity.

So we end with World War III. A sample heavy intro brings in sounds and tones from what sounds like wars of the past. It also sometimes sounds like cartoons so I am not absolutely sure what is going on until the sounds are interrupted by explosions. The samples return before being interrupted by machine gun fire. It’s a good idea, and different to anything experienced on Aeternal Abyss thus far but, at near 2 minutes of sampling, is a little long.

When the song does kick in, it hits hard with a dirty groove and Bruce Dickinson like “whoah” vocals. A cymbal heavy section, full of filthy riffs but matched with a more traditional heavy metal vocal style makes for a very interesting listen. The solo introduces a period of chaos, speedy drums and riffs backed by a screaming solo is definitely my jam. It is a strong song to close out the album with and leaves you thirsty for more.

Crimson Tower have a lot of tricks up their sleeve and while Aeternal Abyss is clearly a doom album, they have many elements that keep the music sounding fresh and unique to them. The vocals are a huge win with a mixture of doom and traditional metal stylings. The drums and bass deliver those crushing riffs you need in this genre and the guitar adds a touch of flourish and elevation at the right times to keep things moving forwards and feeling fresh. As I often feel with anything in the doom camp, there can be repetition over an album. There are only so many bassy riffs you can dig out before they start sounding a little similar. Overall I think Crimson Tower have delivered a cracking album full of quality and creativity with memorable songs that will pull you in and get that head banging.

You can preorder Aeternal Abyss from Morbid and Miserable by following the link.

Crimson Tower Links

Bandcamp – Facebook

Morbid and Miserable Links

Bandcamp – Facebook – Instagram – YouTube