Coming out from the shadows with their fourth album, Solace of Requiem are no stranger to the scene (it’s been 10 years since their debut was released), but they may be a stranger to you. For fans of technical death metal, don’t let this continue to be! Solace of Requiem carry a unique feel that is screaming to be heard.
If you enjoyed Theory in Practice (or the Mutant side project), Casting Ruin is practically calling to you. Abstract technical death metal that doesn’t follow any set patterns (verse/chorus/verse, etc), Solace of Requiem is more of an open barrage on your senses. It will take a patience mind to get into what Casting Ruin truly offers, as there aren’t really a lot of hooks to latch onto either. When they do throw the listener a bone though, it’s a doozy, such as the melodic lead of “Heaving Bile and Ash” (awesome song title), slow crawl of “Wading into Mire,” and the tremolo riffing in “Pools of Ablation.” There’s no doubt that these are some exceptional players in the band, and it doesn’t take long to find plenty of “wow” factors as you listen to each track even with the lack of hooks. The vocals mostly stick to a higher raspy one with some more guttural lows in the mix. The higher raspy vocals are particularly menacing though. They also keep a sci-fi themed aspect to the music, utilizing industrial effects and spacey noises and some occasional keyboard-laden atmosphere that works alongside the production to give it that otherworldly feel.
Casting Ruin stands as a compelling slab of technical death metal. Its full value may not appear directly upon your first listen, but it will keep drawing you back until that a-ha moment is reached. Intense, brutal, and intelligent all at the same time, Casting Ruin has an original formula that more people should be cheering about.