Band:	Saturnus
Album:	Veronika Decides To Die
Style:	Gothic doom metal
Release date:	May 2006
A review by:	KwonVerge

01. I Long
02. Pretend
03. Descending
04. Rain Wash Me
05. All Alone
06. Embraced By Darkness
07. To The Dreams
08. Murky Waters

Saturnus had been a really important doom/death metal band in the 90s, having a distinctive sound once you had listened to them, but sadly fate seemed to have some other plans instead of letting them become great. They disbanded, but now they are back with a new and strong line-up that can do miracles on stage (you got my word for this!). "Veronika Decides To Die" is the title of their long-awaited third full-length album after a small but very promising tour that hopefully passed from Greece, Athens, and allow me to say that it is a really dynamic and deeply promising come back which places Saturnus back to the throne of withered roses and failed romance they had left behind.

"Veronika Decides To Die" is the natural continuation of the sound Saturnus had on "Martyre" and they seem to make the next step in their sound in the most appropriate way, like they never disbanded and continued their course. Their melodic and romantic doom/death metal keeps on shining through the gloomy atmosphere adorned with an angel's tears and blurry heart-felt laments and Saturnus are here to prove that they are back for great things, something someone may notice easily and without any shadow of doubt with their new effort.

The cover is abstract, but in a beautiful way, artistic and desperate with the shades of deep red and white, pleasing the eye of the listener and preparing his ears of what will follow, a dance of withering roses under a wailing sky. A more modern approach as we can see on the cover artwork, taking the artistic concerns of Saturnus to new levels, leaving behind the more poetic/portrait-driven aesthetic of the "Martyre" and "Paradise Belongs To You" covers. Another strong part of the album is the production factor, it's more modern and clean, helping the already wonderful compositions sound ever better, pacing with the aesthetic of "Veronika Decides To Die".

The guitars have that recognizable wailing sound that caresses the deepest cores of your soul. Whether they sound doomy or heavier or they unfold their mid-tempo and inspired tear-filled solos they tend to evoke intense feelings of melancholy and disheartenment in the most beautiful way. The rhythm section is the ideal one for such a wonderful album, imposing or more accompanying and tempo-keeping at others it always tends to interpret its role the way it has to. And then come the piano and keyboard melodies that adorn the soundscape with fragile and emotional sounds, lending that thin element that can make an album from very good to great and Saturnus keep the tradition of their really good piano/keyboard passages on their brand new work successfully. Last but not least comes Thomas, one of my favorite doom metal vocalists! I simply adore his ultra deep grunting voice, his grunting vocals seem to lurk in the darkness like a sweet nightmare whereas his recites evoke a mourning cold almost emotionless aesthetic in the sound of Saturnus that seems almost death-like! The way he interprets the poetic and deep lyrics is just utterly expressive!

The acoustic passages are still present, but there's a distinctive difference now to the trained ear of a Saturnus fan, there are no more neo-folk acoustic passages anymore, it must be the fact that Kim Larsen is no longer part of the band (obviously, since he has the neo-folk act Of The Wand And The Moon).

Anyway, every single composition stands for a small desperate and melancholic story, so don't expect me to pick a favorite, the whole album is a highlight itself; doleful, lachrymose, romantic, beautiful, heart-rending, filled with doom. Proceed "embraced by darkness" and caress Saturnus' new attempt surrounded by \"murky waters\".