Realm Of Ash And Blood, the third album from Finland's Solothus, drops a dripping broadsword of Cimmerian carnage and staggering death-soaked doom delirium on the scorched landscape from which only mounds of skull dust and obsidian shards shall remain.

Making its debut on 20 Buck Spin as a band ideally suited for the label, Solothus' oppressively heavy mid-paced slaughter maintains a sense of unstoppable momentum even when slowing into the glacial. Yet the land of a thousand lakes has also infused Solothus with an ear for eerie melodic sorcery and tastefully ripping guitar solos to compliment the riff after riff of hammering granite.

Touching upon all things doom, the Realm Of Ash And Blood luxuriates in both the somber elegance and pained heaviness of the genre, it's theatrical virtuosity and crushing simplicity. Solothus has stormed the gate, stained it with blood of pretenders, and taken the jeweled throne.

Having recently parted ways with guitarist Sami Iivonen, who is heard on Realm Of Ash And Blood, the band added new guitarist Aleksi Luukka to the lineup with vocalist Kari Kankaanpää, guitarist Veli-Matti Karjalainen, bassist Tami Luukkonen, and drummer Juha Karjalainen.

Realm Of Ash And Blood delivers seven new movements, the drums, guitars, and bass recorded and mixed by Lauri Laaksonen, and the vocals recorded and edited by Tommi Ilmanen at Sounds from Below Studio. The album was mastered by Dan Lowndes at Resonance Sound Studio and completed with cover art by the ever-prolific Adam Burke (Hällas, Eternal Champion, Angel Witch). Devotees to the works of Runemagick, Hooded Menace, Coffins, My Dying Bride, Krypts, Derketa, Ossuarium, Crowbar, and Celtic Frost, tune in.

Stream the first single from Solothus' Realm Of Ash And Blood, "The Watcher" now:

20 Buck Spin will release Realm Of Ash And Blood on March 27th on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. Find digital pre-orders here and watch for physical purchase options in the coming weeks.

Realm Of Ash And Blood artwork and tracklisting:

"Father Of Sickness"
"The Watcher"
"The Gallows' Promise"
"Last Breath"
"Below Black Waters"
"Chasm Of Shattered Bones"
"A Rain Of Ash"

For further details, visit Solothus on Facebook.