In Solitude

The abrupt dissolution of Sweden's Gothic sonic monster - in their own twisted tongue, "widundret" - left many of us darkened melody freaks in the lurch, morosely shuffling this way and that, zombie-like, in search of conducive replacement. Alas, aside from token moments of lugubriously waltzing panacea gleaned from funerary likes of Chalice, Lunar Shadow, Natur, Spell and The Night Eternal, the World is still rocking back and forth on its heels, writhing in wait for a fortuitous reunion...

To recap mildly, the five moniker deprived obsidian monks from Uppsala (which, believe it or not, is sister city to random North Ontarian hamlet) cruised onto the scene like nocturnal troubadours on the unholiest of full-mooned nights with 2008's In Solitude proper, an eight track, thirty-six minute exercise in dexterously orchestrated, chthonic lullabies packed with luminously numinous, soul jolting guitar solos and hallowed, albeit none-too hollow, low ranged vocals, courtesy of shrill, wailing front man Nils Pelle Åhman.

Possessed of charismatic cult-leader's flair for the diabolical and theatrical, "his dourly" knocks shingles off nearest mausoleum once opener "In The Darkness" unfolds in all its towering, oratory glory. Winding up, down and around with a grimly chanted, "acapella" styled coda followed by breezily picked, yet deeply haunting, palm-muted riffing arrangement, this preemptive highlight breaches veil whence sleek spontaneous combustion of a minor classical-blues lead catapults, Heaven & Hell wards, around the 02:40 mark.

While not quite geared towards doom-y pastures in traditional sense, In Solitude's demonic brass paints a gloomily cabalistic and primeval portrait of occult themed wooden cutouts which range from your every-day garden variety of blackened mass on "Witches Sabbath" and cryptic misspelled corker in "Kathedral" to esoteric Hell-bound choirs defined by tribal zaniness of "Temple Of The Unknown" and further dogmatic dizzy deal, "The Monolith".

Despite everything under the Winter sun having been cast about In Solitude's iconic-yet-terminal triptych, couldn't help (de)posit long-brewed, but never again stagnant, opinion on In Solitude the album. Thanks to its stormy "creep" factor and fast broomstick flow, alongside open Pandora's box of sky-high, starkly ascending leads, this landmark gem (c)ranks right up there with fellow countrymen Attic, Black Trip (also RIP), Enforcer, Portrait, RAM and aforementioned, which all deserve deep bows and ganders... from here to eternity.

I'm not going to repeat what others have said too much, the obvious...In Solitude is another of a batch of bands, many Swedish, who came along with a sound heavily reminiscent of the old Danish masters Mercyful Fate. They aren't the most egregious example of such, and you could tell from the debut that the group had some different ideas, but that's really the wheelhouse in which they're toiling. The band uses the Fate toolbox, but not its limitations, and in fact I think its this band's solitude which is a little more of a doppelganger for that sound. Fortunately, unlike a few of their peers, this band put together a pretty damn well composed album which could stand on its own outside the shadow of its influence, and In Solitude has a clean, efficient production that isn't a far cry from what their countrymen in Ghost would attempt with their simpler and more accessible debut Opus Enonymous.

There is a bit of the falsetto shrieking you might expect, but vocalist Pelle spends more time in a sort of soaring, mid-range which emulates a little of the creepy King patterns, but also carries inflections of a lot of other epic/heavy metal bands. The riffs, too, seem drawn from a wider array of classic metal bands, with even a measure of 70s inspiration drawing me back to Rainbow or early Priest. In a few places I even caught a hint of Candlemass. Maybe I'm crazy. Once it gets a little harder and meaner, you do get some vibes from albums like Don't Break the Oath, Abigail, or Them, with the darker rhythm patterns and breakout leads not unlike Andy, but it's never so annoying that it feels like outright theft. They definitely excel at tacking into that horror/haunting vibe, and the record is consistently hammering along, they don't stop a lot for interludes or thematics, it's the straight metal dope or bust. "Witches Sabbath", "7th Ghost", "Kathedral" and "Temple of the Unknown" are favorites here, but it's actually quite consistent across all 36 minutes.

Where it does lack a little in having individual riffs that are blazing and immortal, or vocals lines with a real hook. The tunes flow well together and which one another, but oftentimes I'll be listening through this and just expecting some money shot lick to come flying at me, only to end up a little underwhelmed. The leads are good, but don't really reach that explosive next level that I love in metal music. But all in all, In Solitude is a very seasoned and solidly composed record, especially for a debut, and its just busy enough that you get a hint of promise that it might prove prescient of some greater evolution in the future, taking the influences somewhere different. And boy would they ever do that a half-decade later, but maybe not in the way I would have expected.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

There's something about this record that stands out immediately from the start of the first track alone. The way that everything sounds so much like it's right out of the dawn of heavy metal, yet released in 2008 is just unsettling. Of course, there are gonna be bands that stick to the traditional metal style, but In Solitude's debut album doesn't show any signs of modern technology or aspects anywhere. I was fortunate enough to stumble across this band's brilliant album, In Solitude.

As it takes off, one is going to hear the obvious, an influence of Mercyful Fate, with it's melodic yet dark instrumentation, as if it were taken right out of Melissa. The ghostly and occult like lyrical themes and imagery just egg that on even more, and how the intro to "Kathedral" sounds so similar to that of when "Into The Coven" takes off after the soft solo that starts that classic. But don't let this comparison fool you, as he sounds nothing like King Diamond. There's no high pitched falsato vocal styles here. It's more along the lines of something you would get from Hell, or maybe even Demon if you want to push it a little bit. There's not a lot of variation in the voice, and as mystifying and neat as it sounds at times, it's nothing that impressive. Just clean, melodic vocals with an ambient edge to go with it here and there. The biggest problem in the voice is that it doesn't seem to have a lot of emphasis or drive behind the output. He sounds like he's bored at times, or that he just isn't into it. If a little Rob Halford inspired kick was added to them, they would be spot on and would make this record damn near perfect.

On another note, the instrumentation is certainly stellar. "Witches Sabbath" and "7th Ghost" have some incredible guitar work, as far as riffage and solos go. Everything flows together perfectly, and the tempo changes keep it interesting. Together it makes for a good jam, with incredible drum work to back everything up and keep a nice rhythm and beat. This is probably what gives it that retro sound, and would make one think that this came out decades before it did. There's no heavy distortion to give the guitar a modern feel or make it sound extreme. Just older styled tones with classic riff lines that sound all too familiar. None of the solos are ridiculous or all over the place, just simple ones to kick back with, yet not so simple that it seems mediocre. The album has a great closure, as it does this very well with the solo work that ends the final track, "The Monolith". It somewhat reminds me of how Iron Maiden would end one of their bigger albums, just to top everything off perfectly, except the band threw in some real quick vocals near the end. The vocal work on this track isn't really the best, and if it didn't throw that in after the solo and just cut right to the slow outro, that ending would be gold. Sadly, the bass in this album is hardly audible at all. If it played a bigger role, that would have made this record even better.

As a whole release, this is a unique find for the time period and does a great job churning out a more retro sound. There is certainly some work to be done with the vocals and better bass work, but outside of that, it's pretty incredible. Anyone that is a fan of classic metal would dig this, or of traditional styled bands of today such as Phantom, Killtide, or Ghost.

I refuse to believe there could possibly be a universe somewhere in the fathomless depths of space and time wherein In Solitude isn't awesome. Their 2011 opus entitled "The World. The Flesh. The Devil" proved to be an exciting portrait of Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden worship all crammed into one unholy gospel of devil-worshipping heavy metal. However, this here debut album seems to be a better representation of their sound overall; it's atmosphere or mood of a classic horror scenario is simply fantastic, like strolling through a graveyard and happening on a coven of witches reciting ancient, blasphemous psalms. Sound a little outlandish? It's not: In Solitude makes that Mercyful Fate-esque creepiness come alive, the essence of nightmares a reality. The record is easier one of the better pieces I've come across, and I think it's simplicity outmatches the compositional upgrade found within In Solitude's second chapter.

One of the more enamoring features of In Solitude's sound is Pelle Åhman’s vocal performance. He's somewhat of an anomaly here; not a high-flying Bruce Dickinson or King Diamond banshee as one would expect, but instead his voice crawls and slithers in low tenors, often times conjuring an image of Rob Halford and Danzig fused together. It's a rather simple release at heart, delivering a handful of busty heavy metal tunes led by old-school riffs heavily inspired by the aforementioned bands. In fact, many of the riffs and melodies are excellent representations of old-school glory, but far from mindless mimicry so many groups commit. The songs are certainly more complicated than what they lead on, always stuffing in a variety of riffs and melodies and sections into each piece, and the whole album ends up sounding like a cohesive cut of prime heavy metal.

There's really not much left to discuss about the music, because it really is as easy to digest as it sounds, but that certainly doesn't take away from In Solitude's efforts. In fact, I think it makes the whole package more enjoyable; there's no desperation or useless experimentation anywhere. Hell, one would think Hank Shermann and Michael Denner contributed the Mercyful Fate vibe on "Kathedral," not that there could be anyone that despises Mercyful Fate worship, mind you. "Beyond is Where I Learn" burns up-tempo riffs like fuel, and that occult/evil atmosphere is just too damn natural to not love. "7th Ghost" has the catchiest chorus, "The Monolith" stands as an anthem to the dark lord's victory, and "Faceless Mistress" struts in a sultry lust that, like the whole record, rocks.

In Solitude's self-titled album sounds real. The production has an edge of grit underneath the whole product that pumps blood and life into the cold, haunting atmosphere of classic heavy metal In Solitude is just captivating at capturing. The record only runs for thirty-six minutes (a little longer if you snag the reissue, which is definitely worth it), eight songs of quick, poignant heavy metal, always keeping it simple and never forcing complicated additives like filler or some type of bust. Nope, this here album is as eerie and nostalgic as it is authentic and faithful, true heavy metal with steel in its blood and riffs to shake the Heavens. Essential? Pretty much.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

It seems like the best heavy metal worships at the throne of Satan these days. In Solitude is a Swedish band pumping out some seriously retro heavy metal, complete with lyrics that command you to go out and slaughter a goat or two, all while becoming educated in His dark ways…it’s downright diabolical when you get down to it. Maybe the fundamentalists were right and the Devil really is the key to making awesome heavy metal music.

Either way, In Solitude’s eponymous debut is one hell of a cool little album. This is so old school; it might as well be primordial ooze. Thick, chunky Sabbathine riffing is alchemically combined with Mercyful Fate-style leads, deep, fuzzed out vocal ramblings and arcane, mystical lyrics that are pretty much too cool to be true. This album is just a seriously cool trip into what true heavy metal is really all about. There’s really nothing at all modern about this – it could have been released back in ’86 or ’88.

The focus here is on the riffs, which never stop chugging away. Pure true metal glory is what you will find here – from the opening blast of “In the Darkness” to the power metal glory of “Witches Sabbath” and the rocking dirge of “7th Ghost,” every song here offers up a virtual buffet of classic riffing. “Kathedral” is super-cool Mercyful Fate worship, “Beyond is Where I Learn” is a fiery mini-epic, “Temple of the Unknown” rocks out with some serious Maiden-style galloping…man, every song on here is cool. They all have good parts to them, and they will all get your head flailing.

The vocals are a low, bluesy moan, and my only real caveat with them is that half the time I can’t understand a word he’s saying – his voice alone is excellent, but I think he could probably bring out even more in his performance if he’d enunciate a little more and maybe put some more work into some of the vocal lines. They are sometimes infectious but also a bit lazy sounding at points. But I can’t deny that he works for this sound, and he never really detracts from the listening experience. The bass and drums both back up the sound with gusto and style. Awesome.

This album is really a gem. It’s not perfect, as it does tend to run together even despite the various influences on every song, but at least the sound is one where you don’t necessarily mind the running-together. In Solitude have a new one out now, and I can only hope it’s every bit as cool as this, if not better. Highly recommended for old school metal junkies.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

Wow, this is really, really good. I listen to a fuck of a lot of metal, and to say this has left quite an impression on me is really saying something. While In Solitude's name might have you thinking of Candlemass, and while the members have played quite a variety of styles in a good number of other bands, in this one they play something that sounds a hell of a lot like what Mercyful Fate would have, had they been Swedish and lacked King Diamond. Instead, singer Pelle Åhman sounds more like an 80s Swedish heavy metal guy, with a clear midrange that leans toward the lower end. He wouldn't sound out of place in Gotham City or Zone Zero. His melodies sound very close to King Diamond's though, and occasionally there are even falsetto backing vocals. The lyrics are very reminiscent of the King's as well; I seriously get chills when he sings "ALL HAIL SATAN" in "The Monolith".

The only modern touches I can identify are the polished sound and the lack of repetition. The production is clear and has that "modern analog" feel, where a band from today will try to emulate the underground production of yesteryear but can't quite bring themselves to be quite that awful. The riffs on the other hand are, quite literally, the closest I've ever heard to those of the Sherman/Denner team, "Kathedral" for example even has those trills in the opening riff, and I really think you could've shoehorned that riff at least into Melissa somewhere without raising any eyebrows. Others remind me more of King Diamond's early material (the opener to "Witches Sabbath"). I can't even think of any terribly Mercyful Fate-derivative bands, so it's silly to count this influence against them, especially considering how well they pull it off. While some people might think from my description that this is just a clone band, a few songs hearken back more to the NWOSHM movement of the early 80s, on "Beyond is Where I Learn" for example. "Faceless Mistress" on the other hand sounds more like early German speed metal, and "Temple of the Unknown" has a definite USPM vibe to it, with a main riff reminiscent of early Vicious Rumors. Even on those songs, though, the shadow of Mercyful Fate falls.

The songs on In Solitude are complex, not so much structurally or technically as melodically. There are a lot of riffs here, and many riffs have a few variations, so there's very little repetition. This is good, because it avoids the pitfall of over-repetition many traditional bands fall into due to simple song structures. However, In Solitude also avoid the pitfall on the other side, that of quantity over quality and incoherence. The riffs here are literally a hit parade, with good idea after good idea flowing naturally from one to the next, and thanks to how fast they're changing, it constantly leaves me begging for more of each. Thanks to their general adherence to the verse/chorus format, you usually do eventually get to hear more of each, too. Did I mention how cool the lyrics are? As you can tell by reading the song titles, they've got this cool occult theme going, and never, ever is there a hint of irony or silliness.

There are no misses here, folks. They keep their songs brief and to the point (shortest 3:33, longest 5:15), and there are no ballads, no covers, nothing to fuck up a fantastic album. This is without question one of my favorite albums of the decade. The dark, haunting tone pervades every song like a thick mist rolling in off a moor, and unlike some cliche gothic setting from a corny movie, you're actually there, and you're afraid.