Band: In Solitude
Release: Sister (Album)
Release Date: Out now!
Now on record number three, In Solitude has managed to hone a traditional rock sound. In doing so, they have moved slightly away from a European-rooted back catalogue and planted Sister right in to classic territory. In places it works, but in others it does not, and that has created an unusual album in which captivation and tedious boredom are frequently seconds apart.
‘He Comes’ is a slow bit of tension-building guitar work, before (relative) power is unleashed on ‘Death Knows Where’. It has a Slayer-esque fierceness driving it, but is cooled off by a chorus of charm that relates closer to The Eagles than the thrash warlords. There’s plenty more of this said charm scattered across the record, as well, kick-starting ‘Pallid Hands’ and meandering through the eight minute ‘Inmost Nigredo’, which binds neatly together and works well in contrast to their signature gloomier elements.
‘A Buried Sun’ equates to a dull seven minutes, with very little progression or spontaneity. So much so that is probably possible to add up the number of significantly different riffs on one hand, and that’s always been a downfall of classic rock. Particularly on this track, it feels too comfortable, and with that comes a distinct lack of excitement. The title track is not one of the greater moments, either, having attempted gothic and achieved comic. The echoing, graveyard vocals and cheesy guitar tone create a track that Alice Cooper would be proud of, but in reality, it is better suited for a low budget horror movie soundtrack.
They have certainly pushed themselves on this record, so to be accused of sitting comfortable can be taken as a compliment, but they still haven’t challenged the established genre they have entered. Despite that, the charm outweighs the cheese, and Sister has enough substance to keep it rocking.
6.5/10
Reviewer: Matt Borucki
