Solemn Vision – Despite the Rise of the Sun
Release Date: 20th October 2023
Label: Black Lion Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Progressive Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal.
FFO: The Black Dahlia Murder, Opeth, In Mourning.
Review By: Jeff Finch
Side note before this review begins in earnest: I have been waiting for this album for years, basically since I finished listening to Solemn Vision’s eponymous debut album and was introduced to their drummer via social media. So, when it was finally announced that they signed with Black Lion and were prepared to release their second record, Despite the Rise of the Sun, excitement was high and expectations were equally high. With high expectations and the possibility of a sophomore slump, it says a lot about this band that this record is absolutely fantastic and dropkicks the ‘sophomore slump’ moniker and then beats it to a pulp.
Despite the Rise of the Sun is rife with impeccable performances throughout, and the listener almost knows (or thinks they know) exactly what to expect with this album mere seconds into the record, as the layered screams opening Father from the Flame pair with a catchy, headbanging riff and percussive pummeling, rarely letting up on intensity over the course of the barely three minute runtime, constant time signature and tempo shifts running simultaneously with the switch in vocals, from a gnarly low growl to surprising cleans in the chorus to a nearly black metal shriek to match the ferocity of the double bass and blastbeats. An opening track that gives the sophomore slump the middle finger and spits in its face.
Strong opener aside, the entire album is a relative masterclass in how to perform progressive death metal; second track Avarice features an intense drumming performance, rife with double bass and blast beats, while our lead vocalist channels from the depths of hell, an amalgamation of techniques that undoubtedly leads to the vocals being one of the most intriguing aspects of the entire record. The song shifts into a brief acoustic session with a restrained rhythm section, a beautiful ambiance that segues effortlessly into a black metal shriek with a side of blastbeats, the combination an aural onslaught that brilliantly transforms into a controlled fury.
One of the many standouts, track A Debt to Wraith, while featuring a bit of everything that’s been mentioned thus far, lifts us up and takes us for a ride, with an epic guitar solo that covers the majority of the last couple of minutes, frenetic fretwork giving listeners some of that sweet ear candy, the track ending on a brief acoustic outro as the album segues into some smooth jazz (!) on our next track On the Eve of Silence; a melodic and pretty piano peppers the track, our bass the loudest it’s been thus far, you’d swear it was an upright bass and the guys were ready to take us back to the roaring 20s. According to drummer Carlos Crowcell, this track was initially titled Jazz Hands, so the startling, yet utterly captivating, opening is not really a surprise. In the wrong hands, this could come off as gimmicky, but in the hands of Solemn Vision, it’s brilliant. The clean vocals are expertly done, the drumming restrained and performed to perfection, yet before the listener can even gauge that something is changing, the band rips off their big band suits and jumps in the pit, but only temporary, the shift back into the jazz an expertly achieved transition. The song has everything one could want in progressive (death) metal; the acoustic guitar is plucked so cleanly as to be beautiful, the entire band in sync like they’ve been around for decades, once again shifting into the mammoth sound they’ve created thus far, every instrument has its moment to shine on this track, and there are points that it doesn’t seem like we’re even listening to the same band: masters of the craft, they are.
Though a few of these tracks have been mentioned by name, there’s really not a weak one in the bunch; the band hits us with tight time signature and tempo shifts on every song, varying up the sound and the pace at the drop of a hat, unwilling to get complacent, unable to let listeners down. The album wants to pummel its listeners into submission, but not all at once; each track picks us apart with precision, the riffs penetrating our skulls subliminally when they aren’t the showcasing feature of a track, and making our head spin when they’re let loose. The bass is chunky, always an unsung hero, taking over with intent when called upon, always keeping the rhythm tight even if listeners are more enamoured with the vocals and drums, the MVPs of the show. Aaron Harris’ performance on this record is unfathomably good, from deep, low growls to black metal shrieks, to syrupy sweet clean vocals, the man has not met a vocal style he can’t pull off, while Carlos Crowcell pummels with conviction; a man that knows his kit better than most people know themselves, his performance is truly a standout here, as, on this album, he plays death metal, black metal, thrash, jazz, rock. You name it, he probably played it.
As alluded to in the opening, expectations were high going into this record. Having greatly enjoyed their debut album, to say I expected great things on this one would be an understatement. And for a band to match those expectations says a great deal about their skill; Despite the Rise of the Sun is progressive, melodic death metal done right: equal parts heavy, contemplative, and full of nods to their influences, the band has hit a grand slam with this release, their first major release with Black Lion Records. Don’t let me tell you how good this is, though; go take a listen for yourself. Then another.
(4.5 / 5)
