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Album Review – Solitary / Embrace The Darkness (2024)

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One of the most important Thrash Metal bands to ever arise form the UK is back in action with a caustic new album, their hymn to a dying world, their soundtrack to the end of days.

We live in dark times; times of war, pandemics, grief and horror. These are the days of division, where we turn against each other in politically driven hatred and against ourselves, choking on a social media diet of self-loathing and isolation. Hailing from Preston, a city in Lancashire, northern England, UK’s resolute and relentless kings of Thrash Metal, Solitary, have tapped into the thick, black blood that pulses sluggishly through the fat and filth congested veins of society, culminating with the birth of their caustic new album titled Embrace The Darkness, the follow-up to their 2020 beast The Truth Behind the Lies. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Simon Efemey at Headline Music Studios, and embraced by a sick artwork by Koot (which would look amazing as a tattoo), the new beast by Richard Sherrington on vocals and rhythm guitar, Andy Mellor on lead guitar, Gareth Harrop on bass, and Roy Miller on drums is their hymn to a dying world, their soundtrack to the end of days.

The intro III.XXIII.MMXX offers a modern-day, visceral and acid start that will darken the skies before Solitary come crushing our damned souls in the title-track Embrace the Darkness, with Richard already roaring manically from the bottom of his blackened heart supported by the hammering drums by Roy and an overdose of caustic riffs. It’s then pedal to the metal to the sound of the infuriated Settle Scores the Old Way, a sharp, ruthless Thrash Metal attack perfect for a good brawl at the pub, whereas Richard and Andy continue to extract total chaos and heaviness from their axes in Virtues, an old school thrashing hurricane that will put you to headbang like a beast. And the band once again speeds things up and delivers a demolishing sound in Bury It Now, another amazing display of their undisputed Thrash Metal where their scorching riffs and rumbling bass match perfectly with the venomous vocals by Richard.

The circle pit keeps moving fast and wildly in Beneath the Surface, with the hammering drums by Roy and the low-tuned, massive bass lines by Gareth building a solid foundation for the harsh vociferations by Richard; and the band shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, offering more of their violent and strident music in the form of The Disappeared, with Richard and Andy delivering an endless dosage of fury through their riffs. Then a Slayer-inspired riff will crush your damned skull to pieces in Section 21, where the band showcases their trademark sonority originally crafted back in the 90’s without sounding outdated or boring at all, followed by Filtering Hindsight, the last song of the digital version of the album which will inspire you to break your neck headbanging together with Solitary, although it lacks the same demented energy of the rest of the album. Furthermore, if you go for the vinyl edition of the album you’ll be treated to the bonus song Divided And Demented, absolutely worth every penny invested in the vinyl version as it’s pure British thrash spearheaded by the infernal growling by Richard; whereas if you buy the CD version you’ll get their cover version for The Exploited’s hit Beat the Bastards (check the official live video by The Exploited for the original song HERE), and as you can already imagine Solitary simply nailed it with their undisputed, electrifying thrashing twist.

The world as we know it is coming to its inevitable dark end, but of course at least we have amazing bands like Solitary among us to provide us with high quality music perfect for doomsday, like what they have to offer us all in Embrace The Darkness. Hence, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their wicked creations on Spotify (or any other streaming platform), and grab a copy of their austere new album from their own website, from BandCamp, or by clicking HERE. It’s time to join Solitary in their quest for Thrash Metal, and of course, prepare to Embrace The Darkness!

Best moments of the album: Settle Scores the Old Way, Bury It Now and The Disappeared.

Worst moments of the album: Filtering Hindsight.

Released in 2024 Twisted into Form

Track listing
1. III.XXIII.MMXX 1:01
2. Embrace the Darkness 4:49
3. Settle Scores the Old Way 3:43
4. Virtues 4:42
5. Bury It Now 3:30
6. Beneath the Surface 3:34
7. The Disappeared 2:08
8. Section 21 3:49
9. Filtering Hindsight 3:33

Vinyl bonus track
10. Divided And Demented 3:20

CD bonus track
11. Beat the Bastards (The Exploited cover) 2:20

Band members
Richard Sherrington – vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Mellor – lead guitar
Gareth Harrop – bass
Roy Miller – drums

Album Review – 1914 / The Blind Leading the Blind (2018)

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It’s time to head into the battlefields of the Great War together with these talented and obstinate Blackened Death and Doom Metal infantrymen from Ukraine.

It’s time to head into the battlefields of World War I together with Ukranian Blackened Death/Doom Metal infantrymen 1914 and their brand new opus, the breathtaking The Blind Leading the Blind. World World I might not get explored as it should very often, as World War II typically overshadows it, but this Liviv-based squad, formed in 2014 at the 100th anniversary of World War I, makes a damn solid case for its historical significance (click HERE for an in-depth interview regarding the band’s ideology), with their unique and incendiary fusion of  Black, Death, Doom and even Sludge Metal being stomping, heavy-as-hell, therefore inspiring the strength and bravery within to march towards death.

Comprised of 2.Division, Infanterie-Regiment Nr.147, Oberleutnant – Ditmar Kumar on vocals, 37.Division, Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.73, Wachtmiester – Liam Fessen and 5.Division, Ulanen-Regiment Nr.3, Sergeanten – Vitalis Winkelhock on the guitars, 9.Division, Grenadier-Regiment Nr.7, Unteroffiziere – Armin von Heinessen on bass and 33.Division, 7.Thueringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.96, Gefreite – Rusty Potoplacht on drums, 1914 pay homage to all that fell fighting the Great War, with their themes covering topics such as the Battle of Gallipoli (and the involvement of Ataturk), the Brusilovsky breakthrough, the Battle of Verdun and the gas attack at Ypres, not being political nor warmongers, but just telling the tales of war, injustice, fear, hopelessness and endless death as they happened. Featuring a deadly, lugubrious artwork by Czech artist Vladimir “Smerdulak” Chebakov, The Blind Leading the Blind is a precious gem of extreme music, positioning 1914 not only as one of the best underground metal bands of the current scene, but of the past decade without a shadow of a doubt.

War In is a beautiful, wicked and dark intro that takes us to the horrors of World War I, exploding into visceral Blackened Death Metal in Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne (inspired by the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the greatest American battle of the First World War, where in six weeks the AEF lost 26,277 killed and 95,786 wounded), led by the pulverizing drums by Rusty, while Ditmar roars the song’s lyrics manically (“Arrival / The Meuse-Argonne offensive started like clockwork / We planned to break through the Hindenburg line / I know what we are fighting for / Hopefully to end the war”), also bringing the most Stygian elements from classic Doom Metal. Then we have A7V Mephisto, a World War I German tank masterfully translated into a brutal and heavy tune where the entire band showcases their heavy artillery by blasting sheer obscurity inspired by old school Black Sabbath and Celtic Frost, in special Liam and Vitalis with their lethal riffs, but with a more demonic twist; followed by High Wood. 75 Acres of Hell, an infernal display of Black and Death Metal spearheaded by Ditmar’s growls while Armin and Rusty keep the ambience as dense and grim as possible with their respective instruments, displaying the battle for High Wood’s 75 acres, which started on July 14 and raged nearly continuously for 64 days, coming to be known as “The hell of High Wood” or “The rottenest place on the Western Front.”

Bagpipes ignite a sinister and pulverizing cover version for The Exploited’s all-time hit Beat The Bastards, sounding as rebellious and fun as the original version, but of course with a more metallic and crushing vibe, with highlights to the beautiful job done by both Liam and Vitalis with their hellish guitars. In the interesting bridge Hanging On The Barbed Wire, the infantry sings while marching under a heavy storm (“If you want to find the General, / I know where he is, / If you want to find the General, / I know where he is / He’s pinning another medal on his chest / I saw him, I saw him / Pinning another medal on his chest.”), setting the tone for the superb Passchenhell, a wordplay with The Battle of Passchendaele, also known as the Third Battle of Ypres, a campaign of World War I fought by the Allies against the German Empire. Musically speaking, it’s another flawless display of Blackened Death Metal infused with Doom Metal nuances, also featuring the beyond special guest vocalist David Ingram (Benediction, Bolt Thrower, Just Before Dawn). Furthermore, Rusty is once again bestial on drums, whereas Ditmar together with David will haunt your soul with their demonic growling.

“Hello there, soldier! Ready to kill more Germans?” Those warlike words ignite a fantastic sonic havoc by 1914 titled C’est Mon Dernier Pigeon, leaning towards pure old school Black Metal, feeling and sounding as thunderous and menacing as possible and ending in the most demolishing way you can think of; followed by Stoßtrupp, the German word used to describe shock troops or assault troops created to lead an attack, where another eerie, obscure narration suddenly explodes into a darkened feast of Black and Death Metal tailored for cracking your neck headbanging, with Armin sounding vicious with his rumbling bass punches. Lastly, we have The Hundred Days Offensive, an Allied offensive that lasted from August 8 to November 11, 1918, ending World War I, and 1914 turned that battle into 10 minutes of first-class Blackened Death and Doom Metal where you can feel the horrors of the battlefield in the music, remaining very introspective, melancholic, and flowing infernally until the music morphs into the sensational and creepy outro War Out, the perfect ending to such brilliant album.

In summary, The Blind Leading the Blind, which by the way had as its official release date the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month (Central European Time), marking the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, is a must-have not only for admirers of Extreme Metal, but also for anyone who wants to learn more about World War I in a very unorthodox and exciting way. Available for purchase from the band’s own BandCamp page, as well as from the Archaic Sounds’ BandCamp page, from the Redifining Darkness Records’ BandCamp page, from iTunes and from Discogs, The Blind Leading the Blind definitely redefines the career of 1914, propelling them into a more-than-promising future. Having said that, don’t forget to follow them on Facebook, subscribe to their YouTube channel, grab your weapons and be prepared to face death in the battlegrounds of the Great War.

Best moments of the album: Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne, Beat The Bastards, Passchenhell and C’est Mon Dernier Pigeon.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2018 Archaic Sound/Redefining Darkness Records

Track listing
1. War In 1:14
2. Arrival. The Meuse-Argonne 6:20
3. A7V Mephisto 8:13
4. High Wood. 75 Acres of Hell 5:27
5. Beat The Bastards (The Exploited cover) 5:02
6. Hanging On The Barbed Wire 2:28
7. Passchenhell (feat. David Ingram) 7:01
8. C’est Mon Dernier Pigeon 5:22
9. Stoßtrupp 6:13
10. The Hundred Days Offensive 10:01
11. War Out 1:55

Band members
2.Division, Infanterie-Regiment Nr.147, Oberleutnant – Ditmar Kumar – vocals
37.Division, Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr.73, Wachtmiester – Liam Fessen – guitar
5.Division, Ulanen-Regiment Nr.3, Sergeanten – Vitalis Winkelhock – guitar
9.Division, Grenadier-Regiment Nr.7, Unteroffiziere – Armin von Heinessen – bass
33.Division, 7.Thueringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr.96, Gefreite – Rusty Potoplacht – drums

Guest musician
David Ingram – vocals on “Passchenhell”