The cycle of the sun has always played a role in the existence of the Northern English epic doom metal – or in their own words Anglisc epic metal – stalwarts SOLSTICE that were formed during the day of summer solstice, on June 21 in 1990. Yorkshire has always proved to be fertile ground for the heavier kind of metal as acts like PARADISE LOST, MY DYING BRIDE, and SOLSTICE are the living proof of this still vibrant scene.
When guitarist Rich Walker formed the band, he was inspired by the sounds of BATHORY, IRON MAIDEN, and the blooming English electric folk music of the late 60’s and early 70’s that included such great names as FAIRPORT CONVENTION, STEELEYE SPAN, PENTANGLE, and THE ALBION BAND. Walker’s aim was to create heavy music that sounded both epic and in a way particularly ‘English’. The four early demos and the debut full-length “Lamentations” (1994) were interesting stepping stones along the way of SOLSTICE finding the right path and sound.
A year later, the opening track ‘To Ride With Tyr’ of the MLP “Halcyon” (1995) unlocked new vistas of musical possibilities as Walker has noted in hindsight. The sophomore album “New Dark Age” (1998) reflected that Walker had meticulously worked on music and lyrics that added more elements adopted from the legendary English electric folk scene than before. Sadly, internal disagreements led to the group disbanding. In the meantime, SOLSTICE gained cult status and continued to grow largely by word of mouth.
The rise of a dedicated folk metal scene meant that more listeners discovered what had been missed by many critics at the time of the release of “New Dark Age” and finally the album received the due praise. There were also continued signs of life such as the 2013 “Death’s Crown Is Victory” MLP and the 2016 “To Sol a Thane” Demo. Over the years, SOLSTICE have also appeared at festivals such as the Wacken Open Air, Hammer of Doom, Muskelrock and among others toured with COUNT RAVEN, ANATHEMA, and SLOUGH FEG.
In the end, it took about a decade until SOLSTICE were ready to shift into a higher gear with the third full-length “White Horse Hill” (2018). This critically acclaimed album gained the band new momentum and after some globally testing times, Walker assembled a new line-up to get out back into the wild and on the stages again.
SOLSTICE have been confirmed for the 2024 edition of Prophecy Fest in the Cave of Balve.
