Review written by Stijn “Metal Shredder” Daneels.

“Somnus” is the third album from the Belgian doom & sludge metal band Splendidula. It’s released via the Italian record label Argonauta Records and sent to us by our German friends called All Noir.

Then comes “Incubus,” which begins with pounding war-like drums and an eerie Dutch monologue wherein Kristien describes her tarnished soul getting suffocated by advancing darkness before being seduced by a shadowy creature, represented by Pieter’s hallow screams and grinding guitars that continue along this deliciously creepy track. “Oculus” continues in the same vein as the previous track, another slow and thunderous song wherein Kristien’s usual angelic singing goes along with Pieter’s usual guttural growling.

The album’s second single “Drocht” is next on the album. After a gentle opening this tune explodes into a barrage of whispers, shrieks, grinding riffs, pounding drums and an epic guitar solo. And finally there’s the album’s 9 and a half minute long ending “When God Comes Down.” A song that opens with a long, peaceful guitar section that eventually expands to include drums, chants, growls, groovy sludge melodies and all the other excellent ingredients that constitute Splendidula’s sound.

From day one I’ve felt that Splendidula’s sound created a seductive yet also nightmarish atmosphere and this new “Somnus” release further enhances this feel. The guitars are attention grabbing because of their sonic heaviness. The songs’ sudden transitions from moody intimacy to earthshaking power and back, along with the combination of clean female and harsh male vocals give the material an unpredictable feel. Compared to Splendidula’s earlier work, the songs on “Somnus” feature slower, heavier riffs while the vocals are more varied but just as enticing as always. Simply put, Splendidula has taken the strongest elements from their older stuff and further amplified it, resulting in a very consistent release of high-quality doom and sludge metal.

Dark themes have always been Splendidula’s playground and their latest full-length is no exception. Darkness, fear, death, nightmares, spirituality, unholy creatures of shadow and impending doom are all topics featured in “Somnus” and they all fit perfectly with the equally brooding music and atmosphere this album provokes.

“Somnus” cover art features Somnus, the Roman god of sleep who has black wings on both sides of his head and who's name obviously inspired this Splendidula album. A very sober and somber image that doesn’t really evoke any feelings with me. Still, it’s the music that’s Splendidula’s greatest trait, so let’s talk some more about that!

My top pick goes to the album’s finale “When God Comes Down.” The song begins by slowly but deliberately building up towards its intense later parts as more and more elements of Splendidula’s sound join in. A perfect introduction for newcomers to Splendidula.

While the band did feature some lyrics in Dutch I hope they’ll be writing a fully Dutch song in the future. I believe our mother tongue is quite suitable for this kind of dreary music and I’m quite curious to see how Splendidula will pull this off. Quite well, I believe!

8,5 lost souls out of 10. With their third release, Splendidula has further improved upon their successful formula of thunderous doom riffs, enticing female and brutal male vocals and groovy sludge melodies to create a seductive yet nightmarish realm of pure darkness. Here’s “Drocht!”