Review: “Shadow Synthesis” by Solarhead

Don’t be fooled by the aesthetics of  science fiction that wrap themselves around Solarhead like a Boa Constrictor ready to choke off the air supply at a moments notice. After a pair of well received EPs in “Orbital Decay” and “Repulsar” in 2020 it has become abundantly clear that while the imagery, song titles and occasional lyric may reflect that, their music does not. So you don’t need to be a fan of HG Wells to get what Solarhead have to offer and after a few smoke signals including single “A World Of Shadows” last year they have our attention. For those not in the know, vocalist Jason Emry and multi instrumentalist Bob Hamilton have been cutting their own path through the urban jungle, once integral cogs in the machines of several bands before deciding to work together on this project. This time out however, with full debut album “Shadow Synthesis” they are joined by drummer Peter Stotle to give them another dimension…

The addition of a flesh and bone drummer in Stotle has given “Shadow Synthesis” a more natural feel and rounded finish compared to the bands previous work, the cymbal hits and almost tribal patterns of “Undone Creation” demonstrating the difference between man and machine from the very beginning of the record in the best possible way. It’s abundantly clear that a lot of work has been put into the production aspect of the album with clever use of vocal layering in particular giving the songs a whole new and previously untapped dimension, none of which would actually make any sense if it wasn’t for the incredible vocal performance from Emry. What he does over these cuts is use different stylings and pitches to create a plethora of different voices that attack from all angles as if those of a schizophrenic or someone with a split personality disorder. That in turn adds a depth and texture to the material so that there is no need for any additional instrumentation to build up the sound or atmosphere. That being said, there are a few left field moments like the vinyl scratching in “Bones and Vultures” that augments the rhythm guitar attack pretty well. As a band, Solarhead create the kind of Metal that has been around since the early 2000’s with obvious similarities to bands like Dry Kill Logic, early Drowning Pool and even Pist.On. Dirge laden riffs and oceans of groove driving home the nails in the coffin and giving us the kind of material that works really well on a Juke Box in a Biker bar or as the accompaniment to a long drive.

Hamilton may not bring any solos to the Kings table for this record but he has in his armoury a wealth of solid headbangable riffs to combine with the pummelling rhythms and does throw down a couple of lead moments of choice. Vocally as diverse as they come “Death Defier” sounds like it has everyone from Scott Wieland to Phil Anselmo making a guest appearance, the playful tempo shifts adding a fuel to the building fires. The fun of “Keep Your Jets Cool” with Jazzy bass and staccato riff breaks that make it sound like it belongs in a scene in something like Zach Braff’s Scrubs and provides a brave move that pays off handsomely by keeping things fresh before the creepy, twisting “A World Of Shadows” brings the slow burn over a longer cut. The music captures a live feel with a continuity of sound that makes the album sound like it’s been captured with a series of one takes, the only impossibility in that being the aforementioned vocals. It’s fun without being over indulgent and while it feels like it could use a couple of solos, that might take away from the abundance of charm it already has [7.5/10]

Track listing

  1. Undone Creation
  2. Bones and Vultures
  3. Did you Know That
  4. Death Defier
  5. Liquid Legend
  6. Keep Your Jets Cool
  7. Over And Over
  8. A World Of Shadows
  9. Immaterial
  10. Going In Circles

Shadow Synthesis” by Solarhead is out 2nd February 2022

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *