L Sol Tace – The Carcass Of Eternity

Opinions are extremely mixed on the validity of sample CDs given away free with the vast majority of music magazines… personally speaking, I’m actually quite a fan of them:  they are a good way of obtaining free samples of new work by established artists, and of checking out shed loads of acts you would never otherwise have come across (OK, the vast majority of these are utter dross, but you see my point, right?).  However, when it comes to bands actually giving their albums away in the same manner – well, there are all sorts of arguments which could be rehearsed both for and against the validity of such a move:  is it desperation on behalf of the band, or a genuine attempt to expose themselves to new audiences to whom they otherwise 9as per my previous point) they would not have been exposed.

Well, no matter the myriad of points of view contained within this debate, it is an avenue which London-based groove metallers L Sol Tace chose to pursue when this, their debut full lengther, was mounted to the cover of a certain monthly extreme metal magazine to which we cannot give the breath of complimentary advertising…

Anyway… wearing their influences – Gojira, Machine Head, Fear Factory and Pantera (with even the occasional hint of Slipknot) are all obvious references – very much on their sleeves, in ‘The Carcass Of Eternity’ the five piece have produced a damn fine slice of heavy, brutal yet highly melodic groove/thrash, very much in the vein of, say, Huron, Northern Ireland’s Red Six or Dublin’s Dead Label.

Featuring an impressive selection of guest contributions from the likes of Peredur Ap Gwynedd (Pendulum), Danny Felice (Breed 77) and Agamoth (Abgott), the songs are all well-written and brilliantly performed, with excellent musicianship from all involved:  the rhythm section of Sam Wallace, Brian Granahan and James Murphy are tight and proficient, guitarist Sy Taplin produces some suitably bruising riffs combined with extremely harmonic and melodic solos, while vocalist Anton Swan combines the right levels of anger and venomous vim, but also knows when to hold back and blend into the more restrained moments of the material.  And it’s all complemented with a clear and precise production which allows both the content and those delivering it to breathe and fulfill their combined potential.

For me, standout tracks are ‘Afterlife… Comes Death’ and ‘Mistress Of The Sun’, which both combine all of the elements outlined above, the brutally, neck-snappingly heavy ‘Sinners Game’ and the brooding, twisting closer ‘Skin’.

Track list:

1.  The Void Of God

2.  Fall

3.  Afterlife… Comes Death

4.  Mistress Of The Sun

5.  Rise

6.  Army Of Darkness

7.  Sinners Game

8.  Decevil

9.  Skin

‘The Carcass Of Eternity’ is out now.  For more information, visit L Sol Tace’s Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/LSOLTACE