Normally, improvement is the sort of thing that we would expect to happen gradually over time. When dealing in the machinations of the underground, it is commonplace to see a band take a few EPs or albums – definitely in terms of years – in order to get a good grip on what it wants to do and then discovering the way to go about it. It’s not terribly often we see an act come around with real promise out of the gate and then immediately come back to us in virtually no time at all and show us precisely what kind of excellence we’re dealing with. Barely six months passed and Soltur went from being a fresh name of intrigue along the outskirts of folk metal to delivering a full-length that is overflowing with power, magic, and all the right moves in all the right places.

There’s just nothing one can do to compete with a creation that knows exactly what it’s doing every step of the way. A confident performance that puts itself out there, goes for the throat in every instance, and never once compromises its vision to appeal to a wider audience; artistic splendor in its purest form. I genuinely never thought I would be talking about this in reference to Soltur so soon after discovering the act, yet I cannot deny that I am pleasantly surprised with everything that’s delivered within the nine tracks of “Ride as One”. Captivating in its rhythms and more than capable of pulling the listener into a fantastical realm that sees brothers in steel, the glow of a fire before battle, and the revelry in victory, Soltur taps into many of the factors that make folk metal such a treat when it’s done right despite all too few able to bring everything to together in a single package that doesn’t just feel competent but immensely enthralling to throw yourself into. Everything about “Ride as One” is owed to the fact that Soltur has long been a student of this corner of metal with the teachings and long nights of study bearing grand fruit that Soltur should be incredibly proud of. From its galloping riffs to its grand landscapes to the sheer diversity that ensures every given track has its own distinct identity, “Ride as One” is the work of folk metal that 2025 needed, and we didn’t even know it.

Soltur already caught my attention with its first work last year, but it’s with this album that the name has more than earned my respect. Folk metal done in such a way that touches a special part of the brain in the back of your skull that sends a chill down your spine once everything connects on an almost spiritual level, “Ride as One” has far more to it than what might meet the eye, and I implore you to become lost in this splendid work.

LISTEN to “Ride as One” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Soltur on Instagram here.