Solitary are a four piece thrash band from Preston, an unassuming part of Lancashire which sits on the banks of the Ribble river and in terms of music, it is most famous for giving us the UK thrash titans Xentrix. Formed in 1994 with guitarist and vocalist Richard Sherrington the only founding member remaining, Solitary has a rather deep discography with 4 studio releases and two live albums, one of which was recorded at Bloodstock 2022 and they are now ready to strike once more as the summer fades and the darkness begins to creep in once again. So, open your arms and get ready to embrace the darkness like an old friend.
“III.XXIII.MMXX” opens the album and if you are good at converting dates from Roman numerals to Arabic, then you will get the American format for 23rd March 2020, a date which will be forever etched into the history books as the day the UK went into the first lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was the day where Boris the clown told us to stay at home and life changed forever. The sound-byte opening the track tells us one of the tales of the impact which this event had on life and it is a tragic reminder of what happened and the impacts it had. The haunting and sombre tone of the broadcast over the building thrash intro gives way to a rapid-fire series of thrash riffs and when that full speed double-kick driven charge begins, the transition into the opening, titular track hits like a fucking freight train. Relentless in its assault, this is a hard-hitting opening track and one huge statement. Playing on the unsettling feeling which permeates both the theme, and the tone and delivery of the music, Solitary go hard.
“Settle Scores The Old Way” continues the take no prisoners approach with its sweeping arpeggio run intro and precision riffing. The snarled vocals have a real edge to them and venom with their delivery and the aggression in the lyrics, music and delivery combines to give a real tight sound which will no doubt fuel a frenzy of bodies in the middle of any live crowd. “Virtues” has a slower pace initially. With its building intro giving way to a slice of Testament-esque thrash loaded with that clean feel but hard edge, it will have you headbanging along to the big groove running underneath its tight riffs. “Bury It Now” speeds things up and leans us more in the direction of the Exodus approach, very reminiscent of the Rob Dukes era but undeniably Solitary in sound and delivery. So far, this album has been excellent, showing a thrash band who have been honing their craft for 20 years and know how to blend their influences into their own sound so they have familiarity but a very established identity.
“Beneath The Surface” keeps the pace and explosive energy up with its fierce delivery. The onslaught of pummelling riffs in the verse gives way for a more sustained chorus section before slamming back in full force and again, it is a track which would guarantee bodies moving and beautiful carnage in any mosh pit. “The Disappeared” ups the pace with the frantic blasting intro and buzzing riff before a full-on Slayer-esque speed thrash attack lands with plenty of intensity and this keeps up into “Section 21”, another fast and furious rhythmic assault loaded with plenty of venom in the music and vocal delivery.
The first of two exclusive format tracks surfaces here. “Divided And Demented” is exclusive to the Vinyl release of this album, and it is an onslaught of riffs and vitriol which has some shades of Kreator to its sound. I hear a track like this and I’m thinking ‘Enemy Of God’ era Kreator with just how tight and punishing it is. “Filtering Hindsight” has a real solid groove as it comes in with a real thundering low end presence to its sound. Shifting from thunderous chugs to soaring choruses with catchy melodic hooks, it is a slight departure from the rapid onslaught of riffs on offer from the previous tracks, but it still has that undeniable fierceness to its sound. Closing the release, I have been provided with is the CD exclusive, a cover of The Exploited’s “Beat The Bastards”. This supercharged number will sink its hooks into you and drag you along kicking and screaming if you resist its pull. Explosive pace, snarling vocals and a real raw edge, this is the perfect way to cap off what has been a fantastic thrash attack and probably one of the best covers I’ve heard this year.
In all, “Embrace The Darkness” is a cracking thrash album. It’s a modern take on the classic thrash sound but it sounds wholly original and unique as opposed to being merely a clone or tribute. Thundering drums, rampant riffs, slick lead work and venomously delivered vocals… Solitary have plenty to offer us on this album so get to it!
(8/10 Fraggle)
Leave a Reply