After an 11 year wait, Saturnus is finally back with another dose of deathly doom on The Storm Within. Led by founder and vocalist Thomas Akim Grønbæk Jensen – there have been a few lineup changes since 2012’s Saturn In Ascension with guitarists Indee Rehal-Sagoo and Julio Fernandez being added to the fold in 2020 and keyboardist Mika Filborne returning in 2021.

While the summer is ready to take shape, The Storm Within paints dreary landscapes in a desolate wintry atmosphere with poignant, embattled lyrics. Jensen mesmerizes with his guttural vocals and clean spoken word passages to evoke the turbulent emotions and moods of each track. Depressive melodies and tempos range from slow to slower as Saturnus trudge through 7 tracks at 59 minutes.

The somber piano and acoustics of “Truth” dig deeply before the electrics take hold and is a standout of the record while “Breathe New Life” was smartly chosen as a single. The lead guitars remind of Insomnium with their descending, cold notes and the tracklisting could use shuffling. Starting with two 11 minute songs detracts from the experience – “Chasing Ghosts” should have been nearer the end of the record with “Breathe New Life” being towards the beginning.

“Even Tide” is incredibly depressing while clinging to lone piano chords and melancholic violins. It’s reminiscent of My Dying Bride and drives home the point of how somber this music can become.

Wish the rhythm guitars were higher in the mix, but aside from a few quibbles The Storm Within gets the job done and should please longtime fans. Welcome back guys!