Reviews from "Solaris"
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Adriano Troiano (DISTANT PAST) unveils the eleven tracks that make up ‘Solaris’.
Adriano Troiano, bassist and vocals of Swiss heavy/power band DISTANT PAST, delves into the songs that make up their new album "Solaris ’, released by Art Gates Records.
1. END OF LIFE (INTRO)
The intro started as a spontaneous recording along the lines of the intermezzo I recorded for the last album, where I played all the instruments again, except for the small drum inserts. I heard the term ‘End of Life’, when they removed the telephone sets from our office and switched to internet calls via the laptop. Phones have reached the end of their life. Something that was so essential in our lives has come to an end and is no longer relevant. There is also the passing of my father, as such an important person in my life is gone, gone forever.
The spoken words were chosen to represent the theme of the album and were also done quite spontaneously.
2. NO WAY OUT
The song was written quite a long time ago. It is about humanity reaching a point of no return, where it is too late to look back and think about what went wrong and when. The decline has begun and the future looks bleak.
I reworked the song and wrote a new middle part and our guitarist Lorenz came up with the melody.
3. WARRIORS OF THE WASTELAND
I started collecting post-apocalyptic movies and tried to write a song about this specific aspect of the world. Interestingly, all these films have a different approach to the end of the world and what are the most wanted resources: water, gasoline, food, plants, fertile men or women...
Most people know the Mad Max films, I've included some film titles in the lyrics. How many can you find?
The song has a fairly linear structure with a very significant pause after the first solo that evolves into a fanatical ending. The Judas Priest style vocals I had in mind from the beginning and our singer Jvo hits the nail on the head.
4. SACRIFICE
Funnily enough, I played around with the theme of "Escape from New York ’ and came up with the transition from verse to chorus. I know there are a lot of songs called ‘Sacrifice’, but it fit perfectly with the premise of the lyrics: trying to keep something dear to your heart alive, in my case a band. The bass intro and the melodic line were there from the beginning, but the break before the last chorus was done by the band in one session. I think it's a great chorus to sing along to and a melody you can easily hum after the first listen.
5. RISE ABOVE FEAR
I heard Gary Moore' s “Nuclear Attack ” and it inspired me to write a song with the same line, with the same structure. My first approach was a bit stiff, but our guitarists bring that lead part to life. The middle part was meant for guitar, but one day, because there was no guitar player, I played bass and everyone agreed it was better that way. As lyrics, I wanted to motivate the listener to face their fears and overcome them.
6. ISLAND OF THE LOST SOULS
The title is taken from the first film adaptation of HG Wells ‘ 1896 novel “ The Island of Dr. Moreau ”, which was followed by dozens of films. A shipwrecked sailor lands on an island inhabited by beast-men, where a mad scientist from the island conducts an experiment. The tragic story explores the doctor's motivation and the suffering of his creations. It ends with the rebellion of the beast-men and the death of the doctor.
Iron Maiden did ‘The Time Machine’ on Senjutsu, another novel by the author and also had ‘The Island of Doctor Moreau as an option’. Musically it is inspired by Tokyo Blade. The middle part was originally much longer, but we shortened it and included an unusual way of returning to the chorus. Our drummer Remo does backing vocals on the chorus, which I think is really cool.
7. FUGITIVE OF TOMORROW
The title track describes the plot of the novel ‘Solaris ’ by Stanislaw Lem (1961). It is a story about fundamental human behaviour and the dark passages and hidden doors of the mind. The visitors of this planet are haunted by the ghosts of their past. The main character's deceased wife reappears and he cannot get rid of her. She doesn't know why she is there....
The main riff and chorus are Lorenz's and the ‘maidenesque’ parts are mine. In the middle we decided to improvise solo on the first part of the verse and build up into a cool double main part along with grooves to get back into the song. The vocals are very strong here.
8. SPEED DEALER
A song about addiction. It's the need for speed or the drug itself, your choice. Features a psychedelic middle section that fades out before the lead guitar comes back to haunt the listener. A classic from the distant past that always hits the mark.
9. THE WATCHERS
Once again a departure from the usual songs, "The Watchers ’ opens with a soft, slow part that draws the listener in before exploding into a progressive frenzy. The chorus is very basic, but hits the mark with an exploration of the higher powers that protect humanity.
It is the longest number on the album and a song worth listening to several times to discover its full glory. It used to be much longer at the beginning, but they cut it to get to the point. The solos were very spontaneous and I had to choose between many takes.
10. REALM OF THE GODS
The first track that was written for this album. A classic theme from the distant past about ancient civilisations and their knowledge of the stars. It goes on and on until it culminates in a memorable chorus that includes the term ‘Archaeoastronomy’ (it may be the first song to do so). We invite you to discover the books of Erich von Däniken and Zecharia Sitchin, which also served as inspiration for the band's name.
11. FIRE & ICE
Based on the 1983 animated film of the same name, featuring the iconic artwork ‘Death Dealer’ by Frank Fazetta, who directed the film together with Ralph Baskin (‘Fritz the Cat’, ‘Lord of the Rings’). A short and sweet NWOBHM-style track full of guitar wizardry and magical vocals. Ride along with the dragon riders to conquer the power of Nekron.