I think it is fair to say that as far as Dutch death metal is concerned you have a pretty good preconceived idea of the sort of sound you are going to get from it. Black metal from Holland is a completely different affair though. On the whole it is obscure and esoteric, there seems to be little in the way of rules and ways of doing things and its identity can even be a bit tricky to fathom. Take a band like Urfaust for example, can they even really be truly described as black metal and how do you define their wealth of work? Personally I find bands like this a challenge and don’t truly understand how they are so popular but one thing is certain the Dutch have their own unique way of doing things and indeed challenging preconceptions as far as this particular musical genre is concerned.
This takes us onto fairly new outfit Solar Temple a duo comprising of M drums and O vocals and guitars. Both members are in other groups including Fluisteraars and Iskald who are poised to release new material on Eisenwald the same day as this. Previously we had a limited cassette demo Rays Of Brilliance in 2017 and Fertile Descent (what the hell does that even mean?) is their first full length album. Straight away you can tell they are throwing the rule book out the window as this just comprises of two lengthy tracks.
‘Those Who Dwell In The Spiral Dark’ is first up and after some discordant noise barrels in with a dense and heavy sound. Greg Chandler apparently did the mastering here and although volume needs to be turned up it packs a punch. The repetitive tones barrel away, the drumming particularly heaving but it is the melody beneath it all that really sticks out and actually confuses. I am sure there are no trumpets being played here but it sounds like there are and the overall effect is like a bizarre Mexican band celebrating Day Of the Dead or a mariachi troupe leading people off on a wild dance; very odd! Vocals are occasional and lowly intoned and quite honestly it’s all rather strangely atmospheric. Eventually it slows but keeps on going, with tracks at 15 and 20 minutes long this is obviously what Solar Temple like doing, extending things to ultimate length and naturally elongating songs into a fluid jam like mass. Some acoustic guitar work and clean hymnal vocals give another identity as things move into sombre almost doomy territories.
‘White Jaw’ follows and has a bit of a heathen feel at start, the drumming thwacks in and we are off on a fast paced gallop, vocals low and slightly echoing in the midst. The melody is repetitive and feudal as it romps along and you realise again you are in for the very long haul here. Naturally this is pretty hypnotic and you can’t help be drawn in, there are some slower raptures and occasional climatic surges within it all allowing the pace to vary. Evolving into weirdness around the half way mark there’s a bit of stygian darkness and the duo settle into another slower passage before finalising things with weird sounds that border on errant psyche for the last 5 minutes or so.
At first listen I was totally confused, this has made a bit more sense on repeated listens but I am back to thinking that Solar Temple are one odd entity. I think musically this would be an enthralling experience to witness live if indeed this shadowy entity does play on stage. On album it may wear patience thin for many although I enjoyed absorbing the textures and atmospheres within. I feel I would have to hear more though to really gain a more comprehensive insight into Solar Temple.
(7/10 Pete Woods)
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