Universal Trial

Solarius

Welcome to Forward From The Past, the show where we listen to music and discuss […]
By Metal Wim
December 19, 2021
Solarius - Universal Trial album cover

Welcome to Forward From The Past, the show where we listen to music and discuss how we are going to try and make sure that the past can come alive again in the future. For our first instalment we're going a little bit back in time, whilst staying in the twenty first century, even though it won't feel that way. This "Universal Trial" EP was actually recorded in 2006 and during that era there was also a Swedish retro sounding band called GRAVEYARD that was having quite the impact in transporting the music feel from some 40 odd years back to the audience of that time. As SOLARIUS was around during the same time and guitarist Jonatan Ramm was a part of both bands it won't come as a surprise that "Universal Trial" also has that authentic old-fashioned feel.

Like with GRAVEYARD, the recordings for this one were also done using analogue techniques and the sound is more late sixties/early seventies than contemporary. To make it a bit easier to understand: SOLARIUS has a way of mixing the organised Hammond organ sounds of DEEP PURPLE with the psychedelic feelings that PINK FLOYD brought forward in their early years, topped with the disorganisation and chaos that MC5 used to fill our ears with. And it works. It really does.

As the band doesn't exist anymore, there are no things to find to remind us. So, no website, no social media pages, nada, nopes, nothing. They are only to be found through the pages on their record company's website and Bandcamp pages. I even had to look up an article on another website to find out the scope on this release. There wasn't even any information that was sent to me via our editors. But it doesn't matter, because as JOE PERRY once wrote, just "Let the Music Do the Talking". And that it does, in spades. This is utterly brilliant.

Now they have unearthed these treasures that last only just over twenty-one minutes, we can only hope that these four guys realise what a positive response they're getting. Maybe it will make them realise that they need to write, record and especially play more music. I for one would really like to expand this experience and keep on riding the high that this psychedelic heavy rock is sending to my body and my brain. Peace and Love, man!

9 / 10

Almost Perfect

Songwriting

9

Musicianship

9

Memorability

9

Production

9
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"Universal Trial" Track-listing:

1. Universal Trial
2. Sky of Mine
3. Into the Sun
4. Mother Nature Mind

Solarius Lineup:

Jonatan Ramm: Guitars / Vocals
Mattias Ohde: Bass / Vocals
Johan Grettve: Keys
Fredrik Aghem: Drums

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