SOLITUDE AETURNUS has named James-Paul Luna as its new vocalist, closing out a search that began when Robert Lowe departed the Texas doom metal band in April.
The band filled the gap in the meantime with guest vocalist Jason McMaster at Maryland Deathfest in May, but has now settled on Luna, who brings experience fronting HOLY GRAIL alongside more recent work with INTRANCED. "His powerful yet melodic voice is a natural fit for the sound of SOLITUDE AETURNUS, and we look forward to unleashing a new chapter of doom together," the band said in its announcement, pointing to Luna's stage presence as much as his vocal range.
Luna will make his debut with the band at the Candelabrum Festival in León, Mexico, on September 12 — a live proving ground before any studio plans take shape. The current lineup around him is rounded out by guitarists John Perez and Edgar Rivera, bassist Lyle Steadham and drummer Logan Cade.
SOLITUDE AETURNUS has operated in fits and starts since its formation in the mid-1980s, with its last full-length, "Alone," dating back to 2006 — meaning any momentum from a settled lineup carries real weight for a band whose studio output has slowed to a crawl even as its live presence has continued through festival dates like Maryland Deathfest. With a vocalist now locked in, the question shifts to whether SOLITUDE AETURNUS uses this chapter to finally follow up a 20-year-old album.