The inclusion of psychedelia in doom metal in something that could keep me in my seat listening for an entire day as the opportunities are virtually endless for what grandeur could be created with such a concoction. I’m usually the kind of guy that likes it maxed way out, but toning it down in the psychedelia can offer for some really interesting works, of course. I could’ve expected any name, but I really wasn’t expecting Bretus’ return to be the name that would satisfy my craving for that style and they absolutely deliver the goods for the entirety of this effort.

Seeing a doom band bring in elements from the world of rock is far from a novel idea at this point as we’ve seen countless doom acts take pages from that other side of the train tracks to create a work that feels very complete in terms of its coverage of the spectrum of heaviness. It’s an absolute breeding ground for riffs, all different kinds of heaviness, and a true diversity amongst tracks that propel each work forward immensely. In no small way, Bretus captured all three of those aspects beautifully with “Aion Tetra”. The prizing of quality still serves Bretus true for this new work as it’s “only” nine tracks that Bretus delivers to us here, but that can seem to be a little too few for some, and those people are (1) sadly unfamiliar with doom and (2) will be pleasantly surprised to see each piece of “Aion Tetra” expertly stretched out to presentable meals that are just as crunchy as they are fulfilling. Plenty to psychedelic rock excellence weaves its way between the cores of doom that Bretus command at will with immensely precision with each song being something fantastically tasty that you can really sink your teeth into with plenty of diversity coming around such that you’re not stuck with the same taste in your mouth to make you craving something different.

Combine that with the finesse of a band that’s been going for almost two decades and you’ve got one hell of a concoction that’s rife with enjoyment, heaviness, and quality from top to bottom with which Bretus fucking dominates at every turn. “Aion Tetra” still shows plenty of potential and talent is to be had from this Italian act, and, yet again, they prove to be a hidden gem that must be heard for any fan of well-hidden doom that refuses to come out too far into the light.

“Aion Tetra” releases on September 27th via Ordo MCM!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Aion Tetra” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Bretus on Facebook here.