WINTER SOLSTICE
"The
Fall of Rome" (Metal Blade; 2005)
Reviewed by Mike SOS
Virginia's Winter Solstice is a bruising quintet whose 10-track debut release, "The Fall of Rome," can proudly stand right beside the current wave of churning metalcore.
Although songs like "Watcher" and "Following Caligula" contain the kind of crushing rhythms, relentless drumming, and blood-curdling, screaming vocals that illicit massive moshpit activities, there's about two hundred other bands out there playing the same style. This makes it very hard for these guys to establish a unique identity, sans the band's Christian beliefs.
Sounding like Earth Crisis meets Darkest Hour with hints of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden inside the stellar guitar work (check out the stunning acoustic title track), Winter Solstice's debut is as tight and pronounced as anything you're going to get out there in the fiercely competitive metalcore genre today.
For more information, check out www.metalblade.com.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2005 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised: 04 Dec 2023 22:19:32 -0500.
