SOLITARY hailing from Preston, UK were formed in 1994. The Thrash Metal outfit released so far two EPs, two live albums and four full-length albums. “Embrace The Darkness” is their fifth album and it was mixed and mastered by Simon Efemey (AMORPHIS; NAPALM DEATH; PARADISE LOST) at Headline Music Studios. The album has a length of about 33 minutes, and it was released via German progressive, Power, and Thrash Metal specialists Metalville. The album starts with the intro “III.XXIII.MMXX”, which includes powerful guitar riffing and female spoken words, all leading into a mid-tempo title track. “Embrace The Darkness” has traditional tight Thrash Metal riffing and a melodic framework which is orientally inspired. The vocals are harsh and range between the deep to medium end of the vocal range. The chorus part has catchy melodies with almost anthemic chorus lines. Altogether, “Embrace The Darkness” is a very strong opening track. “Settle Scores The Old Way” is frantic and fast throughout. The riffing is direct and aggressive during the verse parts and supported by a lot of double-bass drumming. The bridges and chorus parts are more melodic, and the riffing is more playful. Highlight is the extended and contributing lead guitar solo.

“Settle Scores The Old Way” is one of my album favorites. “Virtues” is a mid-tempo track, and the oriental vibes continue to shine in the melodies and the riffing. The vocals use more deeper notes, which makes the sound slightly familiar to that of 80s Thrash Metal icons TESTAMENT. “Virtues” is a great classical Thrash Metal song and will surely be a regular track on future live set lists. “Bury It Now” is another fast one with tight and aggressive riffing as well as crunching basslines. It is a classical Thrash Metal track with no changes in tempo and rhythm during verse/bridge/chorus parts. There is a break starting at a measured tempo with thunderous guitar riffing leading into a lead guitar solo at high pace. “Beneath The Surface” maintains intensity and aggression. The pace is slightly slower compared to the previous track however, the verse parts are still fast, while the chorus parts are at a measured tempo. The melodic framework is once again orientally inspired. The lead guitar solo sounds a bit different in melodies compared to the rest of the track, which gives “Beneath The Surface” something extra.

“The Disappeared” is another track at insane pace. The riffing is direct and aggressive, and the basslines are crushing. There are no tempo or rhythm changes at all during the track, it is a banger from the first to the last note. “The Disappeared” is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below. The Thrash Metal assault continues with the fast “Section 21”. The riffing during the verse parts is tight and simple, while the riffing during the chorus parts is thunderous and supported by a lot of double-bass drumming. The mid-tempo break is extended and has two lead guitar solo, with the second one getting back all those oriental vibes from the previous tracks. “Filtering Hindsight” maintains the pace of the previous track. The guitar riffing is direct and aggressive, and so are the vocals. The songs during the second half of the album all become a bit similar in their textures and the melodies. However, that does not take anything away from the excellent lead guitar solo of “Filtering Hindsight”. The album ends with a cover song from THE EXPLOITED. “Beat The Bastard” fits quite nicely on the album and is a good way to end it.

SOLITARY deliver a very good album. “Embrace The Darkness” is a release in the best tradition of classical Thrash Metal. It has the pace, the aggression, the genre-typical riffing, all embedded in a cool melodic framework. All in all, songs become a bit repetitive at times as the melodies used are quite similar. The album is well produced. Thrash Metal fans will be delighted with “Embrace The Darkness” and look forward to great Thrash Metal shows of SOLITARY in the future.