CD Review: Solitary - XXV (Thrash, 2019)

I need to admit that I had some initial starting problems with this band. Their newer output always felt a bit close soundwise to Metallica to me so I always choose to not review them. This brandnew EP changed that for the much better.

The cover of Solitry's upcoming anniversary EP XXV, (c) by Solitary

25 years are Solitary already thrashing around their brand of music. These days the band put's out a EP that celebrates this with three re-recordings of classics plus two live recordings of older material.  What convinced me this time so much? It's the high pressure the UK based band put's into their sound. I've seldomely come around any combo that set's such a massive bar when it comes to creating their noise.

It almost feels like using a high pressure cleaner. You know cleaning with water helps in normal situations. But this one blasts every little thing of dirt away. But it's not only the brutality. It's also the changes and little part's included with the songs. There are always intermissions present that give room for letting off some of the steam. They leave space to headbang all around. You know the change to a more midtemo format. It's all those stuff that makes you smile once you've gone through the tracks.

The live tracks "Architects Of Shame" and "The Diseased Heart of Society" are something special in my ears. It's one thing to be heavy in the studio but another one to be so live. Solitary prove with this unpolished tunes that they can give it live in the same brutal way.

I love the drums sound. This high pitched snare along with the much deeper bass drums kicks it the perfect way. Especially the last track shows that more complex and progressive structures are also something they learned to master in their long lasting carrer.

The EP will be released on August 9th. Currently there's no preview snippet available. Keep a eye on Facebook, maybe something will show up in the coming time.

Support the band with a pre-order of the EP through Solitary's own website. It will help them to tour more and put out more music. Next stops on the touring schedule are Aggressive Music Fest this weekend (19th and 20th July 2019) and Bloodstock Open Air 2019.

Rev Jones films new video on iPhone

How much can be done with having a iPhone at hand when it comes to filming a new music video? Rev Jones has done this experiment and the result is impressive in my eyes. Never thought that such kick-ass music clip can be realized with such a limited ressource.

The cover of the album "Bakwash" by bass guitar player/vocalist Rev Jones, (c) by Rev Jones

The music is going straight and gave me a good push of power I needed. The refrain is catchy and once heard it's not going to leave your mind so quickly. Sometimes the song reminds a bit of Motörhead but this only adds to the fun of listening. The bass playing techniques shown in this video are great and should be a inspiration to all the four string heads out there. Same goes for the drums and guitars which show some nice tricks every here and there (Jim Dofka on guitar, Jeff Martin on the drums).

Rev Jones is known in the rock world for his amazing bass techniques & his crazy energetic stage presence, as seen onstage all over the world with several major acts, Steelheart, Leslie West, Michael Schenker Group (MSG), Mountain, Fuel, George Lynch, Paul Gilbert, Kottak, Black Symphony, Blasted To Static, Gundriver, Texas Hippie Coalition, and Forte, just to name a few.

It's the title track of album with the same name "Bakwash" that Rev Jones put out earlier this year. Be sure to pick a copy while having a look on his homepage that also holds more listening samples of the album.

Darkwell bridge time with intensive performance video

Symphonic metallers Darkwell released their album "Moloch" to positive reactions some time ago. As the band told me they're currently back in songwriting mode having taken a break before.

The cover of Darkwell's "Moloch" already shows that something different from all the other is going on with the sound of this band.

To help skip the waiting time until something new surfaces the band has taken the chance to put out a live video of the "Moloch" track "Clandestine". That one picked my attention. It captures the joy but also the full concentration the musicians put into their performance really well. It also shows the reactions of the audience starting positive but let's say in a waiting way. They move over to realise the quality of the material and finally giving back with positive feedback.

Make sure to keep track of what's going on further with a like click on Darkwell's Facebook page or see the band's website for updates.