Solinaris – Deranged

Band Members:

Eric Labrie: Vocals and keys
Bernard Giroux: Acoustic guitars and solos
Jean-Daniel Villeneuve: Electric guitars and solos
Jonathan Piché: Fretless bass
Lucas Biron: Drums
Guest Alexandra Lacasse: Saxophone

The debut album of this technical progressive experimental death metal band hailing from Québec is not an easy one to review. You have to be rather open minded and flexibel. The base is technical death metal, but they bring in a lot of stuff from other genres. First there is the fretless bass, which has an important role throughout the whole album. Sometimes it takes a totally different road then the guitars do, which doesn’t make the songs easy to follow.

The first song is rather heavy, but the next track “Torture Chronicles” is a total different cup of tea. Acoustic guitars with a leading jazzy bass line and clean singing open the track. When the heavier part with harsh singing begins, you even hear a saxophone part. You definitely need to like jazz influences, otherwise this album will be too much for you. For those who like heavier stuff, next track “Blind” follows, again the typical fretless bass lines carry the song and sometimes I have to think of Cynic. After that a few o.k. tracks follow,  if you like a lot of variety, experiments and softer parts. A song like “Chloroform” with even some hammond organs is just a little too much for me.

Opeth fans who like the softer parts of the band, will have some fine moments on this album I think. A jazz part every now and then in the music is o.k. to me, but I’m not a jazz music lover. Perhaps that’s why I don’t get a foot on the ground listening to the album. The brutal start of “November” makes me more happy again and the blastbeating moments in the technical death song “Phobopath” also pleases me. In the end I have to conclude that this debut album is a very smart and professional one of very good skilled musicians. For me the album is a bit too experimental, with so many different styles used and without really thinking of writing songs that stick.

Nevertheless the music is very good and it is just my opinion and not really my taste I guess. If you are in for something original and experimental and progressive is written on your front head, you have to check them out. I add two videos, a heavy one and a softer song so you can judge if this is your thing.

Tracklist:

01. Intro
02. Deranged
03. Torture Chronicles
04. Blind
05. Murder
06. Chloroform
07. Field of Trees
08. November
09. Phobopath
10. Red Rain

Playing time: 49:00

Release date: 8 April 2016

Label: Cimmerian Shade Recordings

Website: www.facebook.com/solinaris