Solstice – White Horse Hill

[schema type=”review” name=”Solstice – White Horse Hill” description=”Label: Invictus Productions (European CD Version)” author=”Basak Günel” pubdate=”2018-04-06″ ]

The British epic/doom masters Solstice are back! 20 years after the previous full-length “New Dark Age”, the newest one “White Horse Hill” is here. They have already released some bits and pieces in the form of vinyl mini albums from the newest one to raise the anticipation. Upon receiving the promo, I went back to the memories of the  last month where I saw the band at Hell over Hammaburg festival. Surprisingly, their performance didn’t spark my interest that much. However, I wanted to give them a second try and dig deeper into the music. 

Before going deep, some aspects caught my attention in the band’s statements about this record. They state that this album is 46 minutes long which is designed for 33 rpm vinyl as they support “quality over quantity”. Their approach in this record is, therefore, not to impress CD/download market but the fans of epic/doom metal and any collector of metal music. Impressive, right? What also impressed me was their approach to “how the album should be” listened to as they strongly suggest that the fans should not listen to this record from their phones or other digital platforms, emphasizing again that the sound and the production is rather designed for a vinyl atmosphere. So collectors out there, keep this in mind!

As for me, sadly I had to listen to the promo from my laptop (sorry guys!) but the record sparked my interest this time! What an amazing mix of styles! Mostly epic/doom, a little bit of heavy metal and a lot of influences from English folk… That’s what describes the sound and that’s what makes Solstice unique. This blend is scattered perfectly throughout the album; we don’t have song-by-song order but the album delivers us nice interludes, taking us into journeys.

When we talk about the folk and epic sound, melodies are surely important and here, we have the great riffs that will satisfy every listener’s needs. One problem I had with the album is the vocals. There is no doubt Mr. Kearns can sing but in an epic/doom record like this, I expect vocals ‘from the heart’ that accompany the melodies. I simply couldn’t feel that spark in the vocals. There is no doubt the band is professional and unique but emotions are emotions; as a listener, I either feel it or I don’t. This time, it was rather the melodies, interludes and the great composition that took my breath away. To each their own though… I am pretty sure Solstice fans will love this record. Heck, if you are a fan of this genre, you will love “White Horse Hill”!

Line-up:
Paul Kearns – vocals
Rich Walker – guitars
Andy Whittaker – guitars
Ian Buxton – bass
Rick Budby – drums

Tracklist: 1. III 2. To Sol A Thane 3. Beheld A Man of Straw 4. White Horse Hill 5. For All Days, And For None 6. Under Waves Lie Our Dead 7. Gallow Fen

Links:
Solstice Facebook