Reviews from "Solaris"
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DISTANT PAST
“Solaris”
Album Review by Iron Mathew
9/10
Distant Past are a heavy metal band from Switzerland formed in 2002, releasing five albums to date – ‘Alpha Draconis’ (2010), ‘Utopian Void’ (2014), ‘Rise Of The Fallen’ (2016), ‘The Final Stage’ (2021), and ‘Solaris’ (2024).
Founded by bass player Adriano Troiano, the bands line-up is completed by vocalist Jvo Julmy (ex Emerald), guitarists Ben Sollberger and Lorenz Laederach, and drummer Remo – Distant Past deliver fast paced, highly head bang-able heavy metal to send every metalhead and mosher into a fucking frenzy! The band don’t hold back with regards to their uncompromising and unwavering attitude toward a traditional metal sound, every one of the eleven songs on offer here firmly rooted in heavy metal territory – the Swiss five-piece setting ‘Solaris’ on its way with the one minute, atmosphere building and scene setting ‘End Of Life’, the band hitting the accelerator hard for the blistering ‘No Way Out’. Surging ahead with pace, power and purpose, ‘No Way Out’ is a fast and furious romp of all out heavy metal with immense head bang ability!
What a cracking opening to ‘Solaris’, the album storming on at an even faster pace with ‘Warriors Of The Wasteland’ – the iconic metal gallop taking front and centre as the band keep the hammer down firmer than the Norse God Thor! A sensational opening double soon becomes a treble, ‘Sacrifice’ bustling into view to carry on the albums barnstorming metal onslaught – an onslaught that’s steadily been getting heavier and heavier, the band stepping ever closer to the heaviest end of the metal genre! And with an upturn in energy and frivolity, ‘Rise Above Fear’ is a joyful swagger of happy heavy metal, Distant Past entering melodic metal territory to bring one helluva melodious moment to every listener, fan and follower.
‘Solaris’ has been breathless since it began, the band keeping their foot well and truly to the floor, easing off for just a moment as ‘Island Of The Lost Souls’ crawls slowly in, turning on its heels after a minute or so to resume Distant Past’s phenomenal heavy metal attack. And if anyone wants to know exactly what I meant when I mentioned “iconic metal gallop” earlier, then ‘Island Of The Lost Souls’ will give you the perfect answer, the Swiss outfit portraying a top shelf old school sound! And still with no sign of a breather, the band storm on with ‘Fugitive Of Tomorrow’, the traditional “foot on the monitor” feel rising high in the air. And even though heavy metal of both the old school and traditional flavour was invented some four to five decades ago, the sound is most definitely not in the distant past, it’s right here, right now with Distant Past – ‘Speed Dealers’ roaring outta the blocks to adopt a power metal thunder not heard previously! The band are straddling genres here, giving their legions of fans the best of both worlds, the mix of power and traditional metal a sublime one.
And with a mellowness not heard before, is a breather coming? Certainly sounds like it as the band stroll forth with ‘The Watchers’, a hymn-like balladry descending upon the album. And while every other listener is saying a small prayer to the band for a break from the all conquering metal attack, this listener (as regular readers will undoubtedly already know) is showing a little annoyance at a ballad on a metal album! But as ‘The Watchers’ progresses, the band scurry out of balladry back into metal territory to turn ‘The Watchers’ into something I can now head bang and smile widely to. Kudos Distant Past, kudos. And with an electrifying turn of speed, ‘Realm Of The Gods’ roars off at full throttle, the band planting their feet firmly on the monitor right bang in the centre of the heavy metal genre! A stance that the band maintain for the albums final hurrah ‘Fire & Ice’, the iconic metal gallop once again taking front and centre as Distant Past close out their fifth album in swashbuckling style.
Overall, a rampant roar of galloping heavy metal right outta the heart of heavy metal territory, ‘Solaris’ is immensely infectious and highly head bang-able.