Solarus' first album Reunion got a solid 8/10 from me when it was released, I mentioned in that review how much they reminded me of their friends and countrymen Borealis. Technically dexterous progressive metal with a huge chunk of power metal melody thrown in for good measure, hints of Symphony X and Fates Warning permeate through the compositions of guitarist Lucas McArthur whose playing is bloody amazing coming from the Michael Romeo school of intense fret workouts that never overwhelm. He's once again joined by drummer Jacob Burton and singer Sarah Dee and they have expanded to a four piece with bassist Mark Feeney joining the ranks, also returning is Borealis drummer Sean Dowell adding the swelling orchestrations to really flesh out the songs here.
So what of the sophomore album from this Canadian now four piece? Does it stand up to the debut? The answer is an emphatic yes, it's progressive/power metal at its absolute best. With tracks like the brilliant Requiem For The Fallen Pt. II having the progressive elements that you want with some powerful double kicks and galloping riffs that edges into sorrowful piano at the end, the title track is the heaviest song on the record, while Limbo is more poppy. It's on Limbo, the cinematic Dear Saviour and the ballads such as Holding On and The Final Hour that really show off the spine-tingling vocals of Sarah Dee, she has equal amounts of power and fragility coming more from a more pop than classical style that normally plagues bands like this.
It's her vocals that immediately won me over with Solarus and here they are still amazing. On this second album everything has been tweaked a little so Solarus have begin to step out of their influences (and contemporaries) shadow to see them have a more defined sound of their own. When all the elements above are brought together you can hear that this album maybe called Darkest Days but Solarus are bright lights in the prog metal genre. 8/10
Lucy In Blue: In Flight (Self Released)
Reykjavik based psychedelic prog band Lucy In Blue are now on their second album and for 'true' prog fans (prog snob much?) this is a true must have album. In Flight is a lucious, evocative record with Steinþór Bjarni Gíslason (guitar, vocals), Arnaldur Ingi Jónsson (keyboards, vocals), Kolbeinn Þórsson (drums), Matthías Hlífar Mogensen (bass) all masters of their respective instruments meaning that tracks such as Respire simply take you away to the deserted shores depicted on the album cover. It's built on a bed of solitary pianos, stirring strings and a deep bassline before it transitions into soaring guitar solo at it's climax.
On Matricide things get a bit more trippy showing the breadth of this band as they switch between some mid-period Pink Floyd, (Meddle especially) on Alight Parts 1 & 2, with some driving jazz driven Krautrock on Tempest and even jangling ambient on the spine-tingling, synth drenched Nuverandi. In Flight is a mesmerising album from start to finish, instrumentally complex but with a tunefulness that never lets it become too introspective, it creates and emotional response that made my hair stand on end. A brilliantly realised prog record from the frozen tundra. 9/10
Black Sites: Exile (Hoove Child Records)
Coming out of Chicago's underground this band say they draw from influences as diverse as Black Sabbath, Queensryche and Paradise Lost. They are band steeped rock n roll history with modern edge, progressive but unpretentious at its core. It's' probably this lack of pretension that got them signed to Mascot Records for their first album but here they've gone back to a minor label for their second record Exiles. They've also got a new rhythm section in tow after the original left on amicable terms, whether they add anything to this record that the previous section didn't I don't know not having heard their last record (yet) but on the more chunky offerings such as To The Fire they remind me a lot of the excellent Audrey Horne, with some cutting riffs and a heavy grooves getting the head nodding in appreciation as it transitions into the sprint of Feral Child which has some primal grooves and nice funky instrumental middle eight.
With an album that opens with three riff driven numbers, fourth song Coal City brings those more progressive touches starting out slow before some acoustic guitars bleed into a stoner track where vocalist Mark Sugar squeezes every note out of his range as Ryan Bruchert (guitar), José Salazar (bass) and Garry Naples (drums) let rip with yet another brilliant bust of instrumental prowess (including some enveloping guitar solos) the Black Sabbath doom comes in again and stays for Dwell Upon The End both drawing riffs from Birmingham's favourite sons. Dream Long Dead has some Type O Negative misery with smidgen of The Mission to illicit the correct post-rock/goth shapes. Black Sites seem to change their genre on a whim and much like Audrey Horne I'm perfectly ok with that as so many bands these days stick to tried and tested paths but Black Sites sound different, experimental but never to their detriment.
They really live up to the Queensryche comparisons with The Prolonging the closest to the Seattle natives. Exile is a very impressive progressive metal release, it doesn't stick to a traditional sound anywhere but with the distinctive vocals, a guitar driven sound and a expressive rhythms Exile could creep into my top albums of the year with a few more listens. 9/10
RXPTRS: I EP (Self Released)
Bristol rockers RXPTRS have only been a band since 2018 but as soon as you listen to Vultures you can hear that in that short amount of time not only they have managed to establish themselves as one of the most ferocious acts on the South West scene, they have also crafted songs that live up to that billing. Vultures is a quick blast that opens this debut EP moving from the thrashier verse to the massive hooky chorus that breaks down at the end as it melds into the driving Parasites which has some fluid lead guitars and reinforces that this band have a genuine ear for a great melody mainly due to the robust vocals and tasty grooves on tracks such as the moody Temple and the previously mentioned Parasites where the vocals get a little more rasping.
As the rhythm section brings the head banging breakdowns on Bound which has the classic quiet loud dynamic of metalcore and pop edge on the chorus. As the EP concludes you think things maybe a little introspective but it bursts into the punkiest song on the record Blister, which kicks into a slower more deliberate furrow at the end. RXPTRS are Simon Roach, Ian Chadderton, Harley Watson, Sam Leworthy, Mat Capper and together with former Feed The Rhino bassist and producer extraordinaire Oz Craggs they have made an EP that displays what a modern, vital band RXPTRS are, check them out supporting Light The Torch in Thekla, Bristol April 25th. 8/10
Black Sites: Exile (Hoove Child Records)
Coming out of Chicago's underground this band say they draw from influences as diverse as Black Sabbath, Queensryche and Paradise Lost. They are band steeped rock n roll history with modern edge, progressive but unpretentious at its core. It's' probably this lack of pretension that got them signed to Mascot Records for their first album but here they've gone back to a minor label for their second record Exiles. They've also got a new rhythm section in tow after the original left on amicable terms, whether they add anything to this record that the previous section didn't I don't know not having heard their last record (yet) but on the more chunky offerings such as To The Fire they remind me a lot of the excellent Audrey Horne, with some cutting riffs and a heavy grooves getting the head nodding in appreciation as it transitions into the sprint of Feral Child which has some primal grooves and nice funky instrumental middle eight.
With an album that opens with three riff driven numbers, fourth song Coal City brings those more progressive touches starting out slow before some acoustic guitars bleed into a stoner track where vocalist Mark Sugar squeezes every note out of his range as Ryan Bruchert (guitar), José Salazar (bass) and Garry Naples (drums) let rip with yet another brilliant bust of instrumental prowess (including some enveloping guitar solos) the Black Sabbath doom comes in again and stays for Dwell Upon The End both drawing riffs from Birmingham's favourite sons. Dream Long Dead has some Type O Negative misery with smidgen of The Mission to illicit the correct post-rock/goth shapes. Black Sites seem to change their genre on a whim and much like Audrey Horne I'm perfectly ok with that as so many bands these days stick to tried and tested paths but Black Sites sound different, experimental but never to their detriment.
They really live up to the Queensryche comparisons with The Prolonging the closest to the Seattle natives. Exile is a very impressive progressive metal release, it doesn't stick to a traditional sound anywhere but with the distinctive vocals, a guitar driven sound and a expressive rhythms Exile could creep into my top albums of the year with a few more listens. 9/10
RXPTRS: I EP (Self Released)
Bristol rockers RXPTRS have only been a band since 2018 but as soon as you listen to Vultures you can hear that in that short amount of time not only they have managed to establish themselves as one of the most ferocious acts on the South West scene, they have also crafted songs that live up to that billing. Vultures is a quick blast that opens this debut EP moving from the thrashier verse to the massive hooky chorus that breaks down at the end as it melds into the driving Parasites which has some fluid lead guitars and reinforces that this band have a genuine ear for a great melody mainly due to the robust vocals and tasty grooves on tracks such as the moody Temple and the previously mentioned Parasites where the vocals get a little more rasping.
As the rhythm section brings the head banging breakdowns on Bound which has the classic quiet loud dynamic of metalcore and pop edge on the chorus. As the EP concludes you think things maybe a little introspective but it bursts into the punkiest song on the record Blister, which kicks into a slower more deliberate furrow at the end. RXPTRS are Simon Roach, Ian Chadderton, Harley Watson, Sam Leworthy, Mat Capper and together with former Feed The Rhino bassist and producer extraordinaire Oz Craggs they have made an EP that displays what a modern, vital band RXPTRS are, check them out supporting Light The Torch in Thekla, Bristol April 25th. 8/10
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