Heavy Metal Textbooks

SOLACE: THE BRINK

I was Skeptical after the "Bird Of Ill Omen" EP.  I really didn't like the cover of Electric Funeral even though Solace doing Electric Funeral sounded like as safe a bet as anything in life.  I kind of liked the original "Bird of Ill Omen", but felt it was missing a degree of heaviness that I had been accustomed to with one of my favorite bands of all time.  I was not convinced the new album was going to be real Solace, but pre-ordered "The Brink" on CD anyway, based on faith derived from the fact that every other Solace album I own absolutely crushes most other rock, period.  

I am ecstatic to be able to report that "The Brink" is yet another must-own album, and stands tall among Solace's other classic releases.  This is the bone-jarring, ear-melting aggressive, hard rock genius that I had hoped for, and sounds even sweeter after a nine year wait.  The EP version of "Bird of Ill Omen" will never get played again, because they have remixed it to sound a thousand times better.  Jason was an elite vocal talent, but Justin Goins has earned his spot in this band.  He also sounds better than on the EP, and sounds similar enough to Jason that I don't feel the band has skipped a beat (similar to the way William DuVall has managed to maintain the original Alice In Chains feel after Layne Staley's passing).  And the songwriting and guitar work are really what keeps me listening to Solace year after year.  I noted on Bandcamp that I feel Tommy Southard and Justin Daniels are just as distinctive, and even cooler, than Dave and Adrian from Iron Maiden or Glenn and KK from Judas Priest.

Here is one of my favorites, track 5, "The Light Is A Lie".  Metalheads and stoner rock fans alike should love this one:

And here's track 4, "Waste People".  This album is high on the list of the year's best heavy rock.  High volume is your friend:

And how about the cover art?  This is elite rock and roll cover art, as good as it gets.  The artist is Paul Vismara, who is also responsible for the album art on "A.D.", "13", "The Black Black", and what I think is the vinyl edition of the "Further" album cover.

Blues Funeral Recordings chose to reward customers who pre-ordered physical copies, sending them out early.  Mine came in a full week before the album's official release date.  This was a class move by an up and coming record label, and will not be forgotten.

Here's a scan from the inside of the jewel case, showing the new lineup (the guitars are intact, but everyone else is new to the band). 

If you are unfamiliar with Solace, find a way to explore their library.  They are essential heavy rock.

-ULTRA