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SOLSTICE
Casting The Die

Emanzipation Productions (2021)
Rating: 7/10

Twelve years ago, Florida thrashers Solstice released their half-decent third album To Dust. It had been the first release from the band since 1995’s Pray, and such erratic releases pretty much sums up this act.

These guys began life way back in the 1990 and many will tell you that the band’s self-titled 1992 debut full-length is somewhat of a cult classic. Of course, a lot has changed with the band and the world in general since then; Solstice has split on several occasions with members hopping off to join the likes of the deathlier Malevolent Creation and Cannibal Corpse. However, here we are again, a seemingly world away from the early 90s but with another vicious Solstice opus.

Ryan Taylor, in the band since 2013, is bringing vocal and axe duties alongside bassist Marcel Salas who joined in 2017, but the other half of the band is original members, thankfully, in the form of drummer Alex Marquez and axeman Dennis Muñoz who founded the group in 1990 with Rob Barrett, now of Cannibal Corpse fame.

So, what do we get here? Well, first off, I like the cover art and more so I like the speedy blaze of opener ‘The Altruist’, which features some sublime axe work amidst the hostile speed as the band incorporate a crossover feel alongside a traditional metal tempo before the feisty chugs apply.

Vocally, Ryan Taylor spits and blurts with malevolence, but it is a style that tends to grate after a few tracks; his barks presented as snappy raps of angst as the band hint at groove metal via the mid-to-late 90s, meaning that some of the cuts on offer are a tad generic.

‘Transparent’ is an example of that thrashing outburst whereby the band, through all of its speeding intent, does little to find identity. But having said that, it is thrash metal in its purest form; at times muscular, rarely angular, but groove-based to the hilt when not in full throttle.

One of my personal faves on offer is ‘Who Bleeds Whom’ with its cold, dissonant intro which, as expected, gives way to harsh speed. Elsewhere, ‘Outlast’ rattles with bony bass clanks and hammering percussion, while ‘Embellishment Exposed’ just rips with anger. And that’s pretty much the Solstice theme.

However, for me the vocal rants do let it down, because although they bring Solstice into the modern and with extra dollops of 20-something energy, my old fashioned head does at times struggle to deal with the hardcore, punkier edge of cuts like ‘Ignite’. But there’s no denying the grooves of closer ‘Scratch’ and the infectious judder of the title track.

It’s hard to believe that this band has spanned over three decades, and yet with so little action it’s no real surprise that Solstice is a different band on each release. But I’ve so much respect for the guys, so I hope they appreciate my views as a fan from the start. Yes, the deathlier edge of the debut is absent, but that was a long time ago, so let’s just hope the band sticks together and allows itself to evolve and recover from that stop-start career.

Neil Arnold

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