The classic sound that drew many people into the style of metal in the first place is something that many people feel hasn’t been present enough in the current world of metal. It’s something that not many newer bands are able to capture properly, with the occasional surprise, as it’s something that older bands excel at more because that’s their natural environment. A band resurrecting returning with its first full-length in twenty years is something people are always clamoring for, and Solstice is practically a godsend for those exact people.

Another thing that classic fans tend to lean towards more for metal is that clean doom and/or heavy metal sound that has a solid crunch to it while still restrained. It, like all music, is a craft that not many people can deliver perfectly, but with great determination and skill, a great band can be born. Returning with their first LP since 1998, Solstice is a band that brings together heavy and doom metal in a way that attracts people like flies to honey as that’s the sort of thing that people are always fucking hungry for. From its entrancing intro to its extensive epics like the title track, “White Horse Hill” is an absolute delight to enjoy with every single spin bringing a tasty new morsel to your attention that you’re all but compelled to savor every time you come back across it. Solstice shows that literal decades away from the studio has been without hope of a great new effort, and that’s precisely what “White Horse Hill” is in its entirety.

Without exaggeration, this record is a grandiose journey that many fans of metal will happily take, and Solstice capitalizes on that all the way to maximum effect. “White Horse Hill” is a terrific album that just keeps on giving, and I’ve no doubt its a record that will slowly bring more fans to the name of Solstice.

LISTEN to “White Horse Hill” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Solstice on Facebook here.