SOLOTHUS
Ritual Of The Horned Skull
(Nihilistic Holocaust)
18:42min

I don’t want to give anyone the wrong idea; I’m probably never going to grow up. I like my Death Metal riddled with enough blast beats to send me into a helicopter hair-twirling frenzy and seek the sweatiest, most teenager filled mosh pit I can find. There comes a point in time, however, where I gotta wash the pizza stains off my ripped, light-wash jeans and enjoy a good Death Metal album with a healthy injection of Doom. Hailing from Finland, SOLOTHUS demonstrates the virtue in Death Metal slowing the hell down (somewhat) and creating a little atmosphere. This demo is bass heavy and full of riffs yet it lends itself nicely as the soundtrack for lurking or stalking someone on a late night walk more than for the climactic end to a demolition derby (and that’s a good thing). The heaviness comes from the overt to the subtle. The opening riff to the final song on the demo, ‘Darkness Gathers Here At Night’, is ominous and paves the way for a variety of tempo changes, rumbling bass lines and crystal clear guitar solos. Everyone gets their chance to showboat but only just the right amount as each part seems to contribute to the bigger picture; the demo is a lurking journey into a symbiotic marriage between Death and Doom Metal that I find so utterly refreshing. It’s not so much about finding new and novel ways to be heavy, but to use the best of both genres to get you there. Give SOLOTHUS a listen, especially if you like HOODED MENACE, who not surprisingly were their 2012 tour mates. www.facebook.com/solothus, http://nihilistic.voila.net

Angelica Jannone

Angelica Jannone

Related reviews / interviews:
SOLOTHUS - Realm Of Ash And Blood (Michael Kujawska)
SOLOTHUS - Summoned From The Void (Luxi Lahtinen)

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