Band: Solution .45
Title: For Aeons Past
Label: AFM Records
Distribution: Rock Inc. - Bertus
Release date: 09/04/2010
Review: CD

The ideas behind Solution .45 grew at the end of 2007, and one year later on, the experienced members recorded an eight-track demo with assistance of producer Plec, whom you might know from bands as Watain, Scar Symmetry, Slumber, Crimson Moonlight or The Few Against Many. At that moment, Solution .45 were: vocalist Christian Älvestam (known from bands as Incapacity, Miseration, Solar Dawn, Angel Blake, Unmoored and many others), guitar players Tom Gardiner (involved with e.g. Scorched Earth Tactics, Hateform, Essence Of Sorrow, Mors Principium Est and Murdread) and Mikko Harkin (Mehida, Sonata Arctica, Wingdom etc), drummer Rolf Pilve (Division Of The Spoils, Miseration, Dreamtale, Essence Of Sorrow, Sightless, a.o.), and bassist Anders Edlund (Angel Blake, Incapacity, Solar Dawn, The Few Against Many). As you can see, this is a rather well-known combination, and because of their mutual friendship, as well as some mutual experiences in the past and present, this simply defines craftsmanship and professionalism.

In mean time, Mikko left the band and got replaced by another friend/ colleague, namely Jani Stefanovic – think Miseration, The Weakening, DivineFire, Miseration, Essence Of Sorrow and so many others – and almost one year ago, Solution .45 signed to German Metal-label AFM Records. At the end of 2009, the band entered Plec’s Panic Room Studio once again, and in three months they did record the official debut full length, For Aeons Past, which has a total duration of more than one hour. For Aeons Past is a symbiosis of many works, done by these members. Yes, it means that this modern mixture of different Metal styles lacks of originality, yet at the same time it sounds enormously varying. Swedish-oriented and / or purely Gothenburg-inspired Death / Thrash Metal, with lots of breaks and tempo-changes, energetic riffing, a different range on vocals (screams, grunts, melodic voices, chants etc), up-tempo rhythms, and so on, that’s what this album brings. The atmosphere and sound are suitable too: respectively balancing between melancholic and angry, and hammering / crushing. Personally I can’t say this is the best thing the members ever did. But I do need to add that this new collaboration is of a superb professional quality, and in spite of the catchy approach, For Aeons Past rocks!

Oh yes, the album features guest vocals (and lyrical contribution) by Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, ex-In Flames).

70/100

Ivan Tibos.