In Solitude Reaffirmed My Faith In Metal

In Solitude Reaffirmed My Faith In Metal

First off, a caveat. Yes, this LP was released months ago (December 2008 in fact), which is why it’s not being reviewed for MI. Were this a review, it would be a damn sight more objective, but the 5/5 score would remain unchanged.

It’s being discussed now because it slipped under my radar due to festival season eating up any spare funds, and if a killer album like this slipped away from me, it’ll have slipped away from a good percentage of others too. Put simply, In Solitude’s self titled LP has totally reaffirmed my faith in metal, and has really struck a chord with me on a personal level.

What was the last album that TRULY floored you? And I don’t mean you thought it was class, or it was killer or crushing or whatever; what album utterly blew you away last? Very few albums have ever given me a shit eating grin from start to finish and dominated my record player for weeks.

“Killers” was first, then “Sign Of The Hammer” and “Stronger Than Evil” through to “New Dark Age” and “Watching From A Distance.” It has genuinely happened to me rarely enough and I thought it probably wouldn’t ever again. That is, until I heard “In Solitude.”

Everything about this self titled debut album is incredible. There’s simply no other word to describe it. Each song is written perfectly, with a guitar line to die for and a catchy chorus to dig the hooks right into your very soul. You’ll only need to hear a track once to know you’ll be remembering it for years, and singing along confidently next time you spin it. But where In Solitude really make a heavy metal experience out of the whole thing is the packaging and ethos of the band.

The limited edition transparent purple vinyl complements the cover and inner sleeve art wonderfully, and it’s great to see thought put into coloured vinyl. The back of the lyric insert features standard coloured photos of the 4 band members and right in the middle is vocalist Hornper’s photo, in full King Diamond-esque regalia.

His photo, credited as “ritual photo,” is a black and white full body shot of him bent over with his back to the camera, doing something unseen. Is it mystical? Esoteric? Who knows, but it adds an air of mystique to the character. Could be he’s just making a cup of tea, I know, but why spoil the atmosphere?

The poster is so brilliantly old school too. It features a grainy black and white photo of the band (and it actually is purposefully grainy too, that’s not just the standard review cliché) with the front and back cover art superimposed on each other.

It’s like a cut & paste zine cover and looks great; simple but effective. The band wear a variety of leather jackets with painted logos of Root and Kat, studded gauntlets, bullet belts, and an Iron Maiden shirt. I’d have idolised these guys growing up. Actually, I kind of idolise them now.

The cover is painted and it’s an obscure looking sort-of-Satanic piece, very underplayed, with a great classic logo which is perfect for inscribing on your school folder. The lyrics, all penned by Hornper, are esoteric and mystical without descending into stupidity and referencing the last book he read. Take note Dani Filth. The most occultly specific it gets is naming Baphomet, and well, Venom trademarked that one long ago, and they weren’t too concerned with Satanic technicalities either.

You know what? Listening to it as I type, this evokes, especially in the final guitar line at the end of ‘Witches Sabbath,’ a strong sense of 80s Iron Maiden, which set me on the path of darkness aged 12. And that’s what it feels like for me.

I feel like I’m discovering metal music for the first time again, grinning in sheer joy that music this good can actually exist. This was apparently recorded in 2008, but I don’t believe them. What this actually is, is a lost LP from 1984 when metal was at its peak, featuring the ultra-secret supergroup of Mercyful Fate, Candlemass and Iron Maiden.

I’m currently in my late 20s, and I can only imagine, had I been ten years older, that this is how I’d have felt when Mercyful Fate started releasing LPs. It’s so confident, so perfectly structured, sung brilliantly, with excellent lyrics that evoke a sense of the trepidatious walk up the stony path to the graveyard on top of the hill, with the exact Fate atmosphere. This is how people must have felt back in ‘84 when they were first enticed to come to the Sabbath down by the ruined bridge.

As one of these much-maligned elitists, so called for loving music to the full extent, and renouncing sub-standard stuff, I always have an egotistical, critical air listening to music thinking ‘that could be better’, ‘another chorus would work here’ or ‘a different lyric would have suited more there.’ With this, I can’t find anything I’d change. And I’ve tried. But this album is as close to songwriting perfection as you’ll get this side of Warning.

In Solitude will probably be lumped in under the doom banner by wont of their name, but this is heavy metal in its purest form. Dark as hell, played with absolute conviction and just the right dose of theatrics, with hook laden songs, singalong choruses and plenty of scope for head-and-fist banging. The vocals are brilliant, perfect for what the songs demand.

I can picture Hornper recording them in full stage garb, stalking the darkened studio corridors, recording mike in one hand, a candelabra in the other. The lead guitars are top class, and beautifully understated, and the solos don’t take over the song; in fact, they’re kept at almost the same volume as the rhythm and bass guitars.

The Iron Maiden style breakdowns just hit the spot perfectly. I’m using the word ‘perfect’ a lot in this blog, and it’s not entirely unintentional. Get this album now. Here’s the link: www.puresteel-records.com. In fact, I’m going to stop writing now so you can go buy it. I’ll go stick the needle back on this one while I wait on you.