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.

SpiteFuel release slightly dark-toned single

Sometimes snippets circulate early letting you guess about the quality of a upcoming release. SpiteFuel did the same for the "Sleeping with wolves" release and combined it with a show announcement at the Live Factory in Adelsheim, Germany that will take place on the upcoming weekend (03. December 2016).

The cool thing is that the trailer only gave few cuts out to the listener so not much was given out too soon. Anyway I liked it this way and the fact that the band not only invited to their upcoming performance but also mentioned the other bands on the billing, too. Such a treat is not to be found often these days.

Anyway right now we're given the full title track of the "Sleeping with wolves" single. I can only recommend to listen to this one, it's a burner for all those loving melodic but also heavy and slightly dark metal music. It's great to hear the band kept the focus on developing a unique style with a positive basic tone but not forgetting the real world and working parts of how it's like to live on today's planet earth in with the sound. Just listen to the heavier and slower riffing in the verses and the massive variations on the vocals to find out what I'm talking about.


The 3 track Single contains with the title track for the first time a taste for their new album, which will be titled "Second To None" and will be released in spring.

As a bonus, this 3-song single contains a bombastic, orchestral soundtrack version of the titletrack, arranged exclusively by Arkadius Antonik (SuidAkra, Realms Of Odoric), as well a re-recording of "Never Surrender“.

The cover of the "Sleeping with wolves" single. Cover artwork by Fabian Schwarz with additional work by Travis Smith, (c) by SpiteFuel, used with kind permission

The single is available as a fine tradtional packed Compact Disc in the MDD mailorder and at the liveshows of the band. In addition you can get it as download with some bonus content (Cover, booklet and CD tray graphics as well as the "Never surrender" videoclip in MP4 format) for only 2 Euro on the Bandcamp page of SpiteFuel.to shorten the waiting time on the album . No matter which format you prefer, tracks 2 and 3 are always single exclusive songs.

Maybe this is also a nice idea as a christmas or St. Nicholas gift? Remember that Bandcamp offers the gift option directly at each product page - it's easy to find directly underneath the "Buy now" button.

Make sure to check SpiteFuels Facebook page to keep track of upcoming shows and the next steps 'till the album release in spring 2017.

Metal Church post 2015 version of Badlands

Not too long ago Metal Church announced that vocalist Mike Howe returned to the band. A sensation in my eyes since I always loved his vocal performance a lot on albums like The Human Factor, Blessings in disguise or the Hanging in the balance album.

Now the band has released a re-recorded and also slightly re-worked version of their classic "Badlands" on their Facebook page. The track means a lot to me and this new recorded version does justice to it. The production is hard and dry and I love it for being this way. It comes in direct, just as if played live. This one is setting me on fire. A new album is in the makings and announced for fall 2015.

This is the exact description that is attached to the audio stream for all those of you who'd like to know more about the details of this one:

Metal Church “Badlands 2015” mixed by Chris “The Wizard” Collier. Recorded - June 2015. Featuring Mike Howe (vox), Kurdt Vanderhoof (guitar), Jeff Plate (drums), Steve Unger (bass) and Rick Van Zandt (lead guitar) New album coming Fall 2015 on Rat Pak Records.

Italian thrashers Kontra reveal new band line-up

After communicating in March the news of their reunion, Kontra officially present their new line-up.

Next to the only original member Marco Barraco, singer and rhythm guitarist of the thrashers, now there are: Luigi Di Meglio on lead guitar, Luca Buonanno on bass guitar and Francesco Verrazzo on drums (former drummer of Manach Seherath). A first picture of the new formation has been uploaded by the band, too.

The new band line-up 2015. (c) by Kontra, used with kind permission

Kontra is currently rearranging all the old songs and has for the next months a surprise for the fans in store. Stay tuned with them via their official Facebook profile so you won't miss out on that.