ALBUM REVIEW: Solothus – Realm Of Ash And Blood

Finnish Death Doomers SOLOTHUS are back with their third full length record, out via 20 Buck Spin on March 27th. This promises to be some crushing material.

Dreary guitars bring in the doomy side of things with roaring bass thunder to cut through the bleak chords. Storms of typically Finnish Death-Doom groove ensue with guttural vocals spewed upon a thick, fetid ooze of crawling, meaty riffs and pounding drum work that has a charming simplicity with a primal execution that is utterly crushing.

The extremity drags you through sewer-like caverns of pure classic 90s Death Metal from Northern Europe with a savage barbarism that is as devastatingly brutal as it is morbidly eerie and atmospheric. Bands like Hooded Menace have definitely progressed Finnish Death-Doom from earlier pioneers such as Sentenced and Convulse into a more approachable and melodic sound, Solothus sort of sits in the middle with the monolith atmospherics of Hooded Menace but the unrivalled filth of Convulse, giving a well-rounded, diverse and balanced display of the countries greatest Death Metal.

Macabre soundscapes throughout the album delve into even more eerie territories with a swirling cacophony of marvellous songwriting that is produced beautifully, especially in the haunting lead guitar mix that blends stunningly into the ferocious rhythmic slew of doomy riffs and hammering drums. The unrelenting groove and fierce bite of the record are not to be forgotten among its ambience, with some nasty and gritty sections often proving that these guys do not lack in aggression or brutality, which contrasts the gorgeous melodics wonderfully. Alongside bands like Krypts and Lantern (both of whom Solothus will be sharing the stage with at Finnfest, for which I am most excited), there is a familiarity to the inhuman Death Metal, yet much like their forebears, they have a unique and memorable approach to their songwriting that just seems to be a product of Finland producing so many magnificent yet original bands.

Sure there is plenty of Death Metal, Death-Doom and old school Death Metal, but Solothus make things interesting with a chilling, morbidly disturbed and utterly ravenous concoction that blends all the elements we know and love, churning out something new and refreshed. This album is otherworldly, with estranged vocals appearing alongside the brutish grunts, similarly discordant guitars work in unison yet contrast the concisely uprooting rhythmic sections over a powerfully diverse blend of blastbeats and mid tempo drum crawls, making for a bombastically juxtaposed listen in the best possible way. There is volatility that stops anything becoming predictable while the atmosphere flows transcendently throughout.

This album has a killer mix of rivetingly heavy songs such as “The Watcher” balanced with total insanity as we see on tracks like “The Gallows’ Promise”, showcasing a bold and twisted mixture of the bands talents which not only are incredibly well written and executed but also work brilliantly together for the album to be a fantastic overall piece of extreme musical excellence. The record is emotional, moody even, but never lacks ferocity or feels overcomplicated, always getting to the point. While there is plentiful stunning atmospherics, rest assured there is some hideously fetid Death Metal bulldozing its way towards you with little notice at any given moment. As far as Death-Doom is concerned, this is a release you definitely cannot afford to miss.

Dark, brooding, obliterating and fuelled by contempt, Solothus have delivered the most unhinged and astounding record of their career to date. -9/10