Solstice
New Dark Age
[Misanthropy]
One of the last releases to be churned out from this influential and legendary
British label, Solstice nonetheless keeps up Misanthropy’s legacy of original,
diverse, experimental and brilliant extreme artistic brilliance. The closest
modern reference point to Solstice’s rich doom textures is perhaps Solitude
Aeternus in their creative fusion of true metal and Saint Vitus-inspired doom
metallia.
Throughout the album, shades of Candlemass, Mercyful Fate and even Manowar hold hands with Count Raven, The Obsessed and Trouble before being shot with a jet-black doom and spirit. Slightly jangly, folk-esque elements can be detected in this brew, notably Jethro Tull and Hawkwind fidgets littered here and there, particularly in the vocalist’s eccentric stylistics, but this only adds to the sheer creativity and originality of the band. Steering clear from the ‘stoner-punk’ ethic of C.O.C, the Sabbath worship of sHeavy and any of the lighter Cream-influenced groove bands, there should be many who hail Solstice’s truer-than-thou nature as the finest, most formidably underground act (other than Burning Witch and Thorr’s Hammer, who believe it or not, are both on Southern Lord).
As usual, the huge, heaving riffs on show, as are a number of slow-mo, introspective acoustical mish-mashes leading into Shermann-Denner style interplays that enthrall and fascinate in their simplistic yet layered structures.At the very end you only start to appreciate the eccentric brilliance and bravado of it all, before you place your air-guitaring fingers on the replay button. I’d like to point out that these Brits have a sense of style and class that many leafhounds lack and things can only look up for them after the signing to a new label. Hopefully people will take notice.
[9]
© 2000 equimanthorn
Throughout the album, shades of Candlemass, Mercyful Fate and even Manowar hold hands with Count Raven, The Obsessed and Trouble before being shot with a jet-black doom and spirit. Slightly jangly, folk-esque elements can be detected in this brew, notably Jethro Tull and Hawkwind fidgets littered here and there, particularly in the vocalist’s eccentric stylistics, but this only adds to the sheer creativity and originality of the band. Steering clear from the ‘stoner-punk’ ethic of C.O.C, the Sabbath worship of sHeavy and any of the lighter Cream-influenced groove bands, there should be many who hail Solstice’s truer-than-thou nature as the finest, most formidably underground act (other than Burning Witch and Thorr’s Hammer, who believe it or not, are both on Southern Lord).
As usual, the huge, heaving riffs on show, as are a number of slow-mo, introspective acoustical mish-mashes leading into Shermann-Denner style interplays that enthrall and fascinate in their simplistic yet layered structures.At the very end you only start to appreciate the eccentric brilliance and bravado of it all, before you place your air-guitaring fingers on the replay button. I’d like to point out that these Brits have a sense of style and class that many leafhounds lack and things can only look up for them after the signing to a new label. Hopefully people will take notice.
[9]
© 2000 equimanthorn