Solace
“13”
(Meteor City)
Oh, Ozzy, what hast thou wrought? Would Sabbath have rocked so hard if Ozzy and the boys had known that thirty years afterwards, hundreds of stoners would be inspired enough to pick up a few guitars and drums to make a little rock and roll of their own? Who knows, but Solace sounds so much like Black Sabbath that they should give out co-writing credits to them on all of the tracks. Still, sounding like Black Sabbath isn’t one of the worst sins a band can commit. “13” is stuffed full of walking bass lines and old school metal that is going to appeal to a lot of you foolios reading this. There is a decidedly grungy, garagey feel to the album as well, providing welcome balance to what could be an overly harsh sounding effort. The discerning ear will undoubtedly appreciate the psychedelic metal stylings, as well as the Alice in Chains influences resonating throughout the dozen tracks. While most stoner-metal often lacks direction and focus, Solace keep their heads on straight, blazing through tracks like the Blues inspired metal anthem “Try”, a killer tune worth the price of admission. Check this one out.
