"Of Hopes & Fears" Reviews

Friend of The Devil online (April 2002)
Superior underground black metal is always enjoyable to listen to, especially when the end results are professionally done. solace denied, from the uk, have given us five full bodied black death metal tracks that grow in effectiveness with each listen. at this stage, solace denied seem less to do with being a 'black metal band' than as a band that is developing sublime songwriting skills. songs like 'breath of torment' mix and match ideas which though not wholly cohesive do indicate at ideas that should transcend mere genre. i would hate to think that solace denied would want to restrict themselves to any singular genre because the talent seems to be there to expand towards more meaningful levels. it's too early to state what they will do on the basis of this release, but 'of hopes and fears' on its own terms goes beyond satisfying. 7/10 freespace.virgin.net/sat.666/home.html

Biting Bullets (March 2002)
Solace Denied are british. they are also currently still unsigned. so what you cry! well simply take a listen to this excellent five track release and you'll soon understand just why both of those statements are almost unbelievable. firstly, not since stampin' ground has a british band taken extreme metal and turned it into their own collective empire. it's brash, intense and definitely hostile, yet still unmistakably english. liberating influences from all aspects of classic and current underground bands, solace denied have created one hell of an unholy beast here. you've got the works, blast beats, guitars thrashing all over the place some of the most insane vocals this side of dani filth, and to make it all stand out that little bit further, solace denied have got some killer tunes to go with it. why this band is still unsigned is beyond belief really, and surely it can not be long before they are snapped up. immense, powerful, full of angst and hatred yet strangely attractive, solace denied have embarked on a mission to seek and destroy all that stand before them. my only advice to you is join them now as i really wouldn't want to stand in their way.

Neon Promotions (December 2001)
Five brutal and crushing tracks of speedy thrash metal, but with a few more "classic" type riffs thrown in (theres just a smattering of metallica to be detected here and there). opening with "serotonin wars," which is full on indeed, then the excellent "pure," which is a growling metal romp, this cd quickly divulges its intensions - to rock or die! "breath of torment" delivers more of the same, before "dead reflection" (the other star track) comes in with a beautiful intro, that is soon smashed onto the ground by the following assault that is the rest of the track. title track "of hopes and fears" with its enchanting, epic ending, plays us out. www.neon-promotions.co.uk

NI Metal Forum (November 2001)
...black metal, with a pretty extreme heavy metal quotient is the order of the day showcasing influence primarily from maiden, but with a dash of early cradle, anathema, and a marked hecate enthroned tone in all over feel. it's easy to forget that this is a demo - the presentation is flawless and completely pro, and printed on some really tasty card paper like alot of the prophecy stuff. full marks similarly for the sterling and weighty production.

Musically they are very similar to ireland's own kingdom, employing melody into a black framework with a thrashy undertow. the guitarwork is of an instantly recognisable english ilk, sounding just like any yorkshire band you care to name circa '93, which is a great thing. "serotonin wars" is a good opener with its agression and force; "breath of torment" instantly recalls prime solstice and anathema. the main problem is that the riffing is a little predictable throughout, and a lack of soloing or much creativity has dampened my enthusiasm for otherwise fine material. vocals are delivered with a brutal growl at times striklingly similar to pyrexia (??!?) and the aforementioned shriek, but they let the cd down on a few occasions by sounding completely random or ad hoc, and not always best placed structurally. it hardly detracts from the material too much though.

This paints negative picture, but in the context of the great metal on display these flaws are easily ignored. as a demo cd this stands head and shoulders above probably any other. it also happens that i have an overt prediclection for the type of music they play: i just love heavy black metal, and I happen to think these guys do a pretty decent job of it. some nice clean tones on "dead reflection" as well as well performed girly vocals later on add the required atmosphere. but one tip for the band - please add some reverb to the main vocal. do this and you are on to a winner. anyway, if you are into black metal buy this cd, for £4.50 its a hell of alot better than some of the shit that you'd pay alot more for. 3.6/5 www.nimetalforum.com


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