Top 10 Thrash Metal Albums of 2024 #7 Solitary - Embrace the Darkness

Xmas is upon us ya filthy animals! Time to do a Top 10 Thrash Metal Albums of 2024 and see how the year has treated us. I'll pick sh!t that I've listened to a lot. Might not be perfect in all aspects but I'll always, always go for that messy spark over disciplined yet tasteless polish. Let's go!

Stemming from the depths of the COVID-19, Embrace the Darkness opens up morbidly with symptoms of tomorrow, today! Hard critique to our societal tragedies is a given and Richard Sherrington's vocals are distinctive in bringing the ugly to the front. Solitary certainly doesn't hold any of the punches.

Three decades of Thrash Metal pushes through. Songs are finely crafted and balanced. The purpose shapes each song nicely and establishes identity - what else can you ask from any band? There is a caveat: talking about Solitary there seems to be a clear divide.

The reason? The vocals.

Sherrington's rasp is not for everyone. His identifiable voice and style is the water divide here and I totally get that - if you don't like something, that's that. Personally, I like it a lot and can't for the life in me get what people are complaining about. Charismatic voice is as important to the whole as is having a vision how the album should sound.

UK anarchists of Solitary

Talking about the sound they've certainly had an idea or two! Solitary is one of those bands who do sound a bit different from the get go. In many ways the sound reminds me of their fellow countrymen's most excellent band: Bolt Thrower. RIP, you magnificent bastard you.

Now, they've brought in producer Simon Efemey of Napalm Death, Paradise Lost and Deceased fame. What happened was that the sound was taken to the next level comparing to their previous album The Truth Behind Lies (2020). Which did sound a bit crappy.

Well, lah-di-dah

In practical terms sh!t not only sounds proper in modern technical terms - it retains its identity. The soundstage is wider and you can go nitpicking over the baseline should you so desire as everything has been separated into a greater degree. The sound profile of the band increases the mids of the guitars, cuts some of the mid on the base drum to make room for the aforementioned base guitar.

This does achieve a more unique sound with separation. However, it also produces a great deal harsher tone. This has my ears feeling funky after a number of sessions on headphones. Doesn't usually happen and I'm inclined to say that this album does benefit a great deal from a more softer sounding sound system for sure.

Ahem

Getting back to the topic: Embrace the Darkness is a melodic album. Not every time, but ever so often, a song breaks form and arranges itself into a different kind of beast altogether. The songwriting is damn good and here the band I think have learned more how to build and capitalise on the drama. Take it as a method to enhance the rawness, rather than decidedly straying into the direction of progressive sh!t.

Take the titular song "Embrace the Darkness" for example; prepare to be surprised at the last third as it thoroughly shifts gear. If you don't like this by the vicious "Virtues" you might as well ditch this circus. However, should this chime with you the 30 minutes will fly by - fucking guaranteed. My personal favourites from the album are the evil sounding "Beneath the Surface" and the simpler, back-to-basics fisticuffs of "Bury It Now". Its a rare occasion when I have a hard time going: "Yeah, that's a clear filler song". Instead of saying anything out loud I just put the album back on - many, many times.

Solitary has reached new great heights with this release. Its a special kind of pleasure to see old dogs learn new tricks and show how its done. Can't wait to hear whats next for the band - but until that I'll be moshing to this sh!t fo' sizzle!

   THRASH-O-METER

★★★★☆ SONGWRITING

★★★★☆ THEMES

★★★★☆ LONGEVITY

★★☆☆☆ PRODUCTION

★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY

SCORE:

★★★☆☆ GOOD SH!T

(decimals are for weaklings)

PS. The headphones I tested this with (out of curiosity) were Sony's WF-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM3, as well as Sennheiser 800 S and Audeze Maxwells. The album was "better"on the Sonys as they're a lot less analytical and clinical by nature.