Barbarian Hermit - Solitude And Savagery

When Solitude And Savagery dropped in November 2018, Barbarian Hermit made it clear they weren’t here to whisper. This full-length record is a brutal collision of solitude and raw, savage energy — a journey through bleak landscapes, massive riffs, and the weight of silence before the howl.

From the opening drone of Enter The Hermitage, with guest vocals adding an almost ritualistic edge, the album sets its tone: thick sludge, doom-laden heaviness, and a mood that broods rather than rushes. Throughout tracks like Black Mass, Beyond The Wall, and Laniakea, the band stretch their legs: longest track Laniakea nearly eleven minutes of shifting dynamics, from slow-burning atmospherics to monolithic grooves pouring through distorted guitars and volcanic rhythms.

Vocals hover between guttural, primal shouting and despairing resonance; there are moments where the lightest vocal touch breaks through the gnarl, reinforcing the contrast between rusted weight and breathing space. Key to all this is production by Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio — the sound is full, massive without being muddy, allowing the heaviness to hit but also letting the undercurrents of melody, the swells, the groove, all have room to emerge. Mastered by James Plotkin, the album holds its power and clarity even as it drags you into darkness. Artwork by Mr Hass (with the digipak featuring a tunnel pocket and poster-style insert) complements the music: brutal, atmospheric, something you almost want to stare at in the gloom.

But Solitude And Savagery isn’t just heaviness for heaviness’s sake. It’s a statement of identity. The band hold the tension between crushing weight and expansive space with seriousness: the kind of album that doesn’t just demand your attention, it earns it. In the UK sludge / doom / stoner scene, this feels like the work of a band stepping past influence and aiming for presence.

1. Enter The Hermitage
2. Black Mass
3. No Sleep
4. Beyond The Wall
5. Life Breather
6. Reawaken
7. Laniakea

Barbarian Hermit is:
Ed Campbell - Vocals
Adam Robertshaw - Guitars
Mike "Big Daddy Reegs" Regan - Guitars
Rob "Spadge" Sutcliffe - Bass, Vocals
Gareth Manning - Drums

Guest vocals on Enter The Hermitage and Laniakea - Alex Hurst
Guest solo on Laniakea - Adam Henry
Guest Woo! on Reawaken - Alex Hurst, Adam Henry and Andrew Field

All songs written by Barbarian Hermit
Recorded and Produced by Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio
Mastered by James Plotkin at Plotkinworks
Artwork by Mr Hass

C & P Barbarian Hermit 2018
Released by APF Records under exclusive license