Band: In Solitude
Title: The World. The Flesh. The Devil
Label: Metal Blade Records
Distribution: PIAS
Release date: May 23rd 2011
Review: CD

Next year this Swedish formation (not the Portuguese Heavy Metal act with the same moniker) will celebrate its tenth anniversary, yet outside their home country, they are not that known at all… not yet…
Some demos and an EP, several line-up changes, but finally, in 2008, the official self-called debut full length (through Pure Steel Records / High Roller Records), making the band popular in Germany as well.
More changes in line-up, a contract with major Metal Blade, lots of touring, then time for the sophomore full length. Done at the pretty new Gutterview Recorders Studio, owned by Nicke ‘Vassago’ Andersson (ex-Nihilist / Entombed, Treblinka, Lord Belial, Hellacopters, Mezzrow etc.), and produced by Carnage / Dismember / …-member Fred Estby (who also handled the desk knobs for bands as Centinex, Thyrfing, Hypocrite, Necrophobic, Comecon, Desultory, In Battle and so many more).
Currently with permanent, former and session / live members of e.g. Katalysator, Repugnant, Sonic Ritual or Wolf.

The World. The Flesh. The Devil lasts for almost one hour (seven of the songs last between five and eight minutes, the final epic lasts for fourteen minutes), and this album pays tribute to Mercyful Fate especially. The band brings energetic and melodic (Traditional) Heavy Metal with lots of winks to Mercyful Fate and the NWOBHM-scene; more than once, Iron Maiden come to mind – listen to many of the twin guitar riffs or solos! Sometimes In Solitude turn a little towards related genres as well, like the (Melodic) Black and (Epic / Traditional) Doom-scene, at least instrumentally (even though some vocals are of the darker kind – read: screams and grunts – yet just sporadically used). And about the lead vocals: singer Pelle Åhman does not always sound like Kim ‘King Diamond’ Petersen, even though there indeed are many comparable moments. However, Pelle does not use King Diamond’s famous high-pitched falsetto-yells, and in general his voice is somewhat lower than King Diamond’s.
The overall atmosphere is catchier than Mercyful Fate, by the way, because of the up-tempo Rock-vibe on several tracks. Just a couple of times this catchiness bores the faeces out of me, yet most of the time, The World. The Flesh. The Devil poisons, blesses and burns.

Note: see also the review on the new Portrait-album Crimen Laesae Majestatis Divinae, released via Metal Blade Records as well.

80/100

Ivan Tibos.