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| CD Review Solace of Requiem |
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| Solace of Requiem - Solace of Requiem released December 3, 2004 Reviewer: Karma E. Omowale |
| Solace of Requiem is resuscitating Old School Death Metal and kicking it up a notch, in fact they cranked it to eleven! This band breathes new life into a dying genre, placing a new refreshing approach to an old tried and true style, and reformulating the genre with a twist, an injection of jazz and Southern Comfort. Hailing from Virginia as in the same stomping ground of Lamb of God, however Solace’s sound could not be any different from that of LoG. The only similarity is that they reside in the same state.
These lads have been acquainted with one another since high school; this plays a huge part on the band’s tight sound. This prodigious 3-piece packs a mighty punch! They are a delight to the auditory senses. From beginning to end this CD astonished me! The CD starts off with an amazing opening drum roll and when the vocals kick in, you would think it was Death, as in the band. I'd swear Chuck Schuldiner possessed vocalist, Jeff Sumrell. His vocals are punishing and relentless. The way that guitarist, Chris Young tears into his ax you can tell James Murphy [ex-Death, Obituary, Testament fame] ranks high as an influence as it bleeds through his playing. You can definitely tell Morbid Angel influence above all. The guitar solos are pretty original and the drums from Luke Downing are brutal. Every track is blistering and sharp, this is a damn good effort for this unsigned band. The strongest tracks on the self-titled CD are “Deceiver”, “Stir No Echo”, “Domination”, “Beyond Grace”, and “Hell Is For Those That Sleep”. In my book, this band reigns supreme in lyrical content. The cover art features an ancient Indian figure, which fits in well with their style of music, something that will stand the test of time. May be old school but they do it with a lot of style and panache. Personally, I feel the record deals should be around the corner because this band has a bright future ahead of them. Click here for my interview with the band |
| Lineup: Jeff Sumrell - Bass, Vocals Chris Young - Guitars Luke Downing - Drums |
| Track Listing:
(47:11) 1. Beyond Grace 2. Trials 3. It Feeds 4. Deceiver 5. Stir No Echo 6. The Ocean North 7. On To Unreal 8. Left Blinded 9. Hell is For Those Who Sleep 10. I Need You |
| Rating: 4/5 Pentagrams |
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