Solace (band)

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Solace
Origin New Jersey, United States
Genre(s) Hard rock
Heavy metal
Doom metal
Stoner rock
Years active 1996–present
Label(s) Underdogma Records
Land o' Smiles Records
Listenable Records
MeteorCity
Website diedrunk.com
Members
Jason
Rob Hultz
Tommy Southard
Justin Daniels
Kenny Lund
Former members
John Proveaux
Bill Belford
Matt Gunvordahl
Keith Ackerman

Solace is a heavy metal band hailing from the Jersey Shore, United States.

Formed in 1996 by the remaining members of Atlantic Records artist Godspeed, Solace is most well-known in the stoner rock genre, but as guitarist and founding member Tommy Southard has said "We're not a stoner band, we're a rock 'n' roll band—a hard rock band, a metal band."[1] However, the comparison of their albums to those of Black Sabbath, Queens of the Stone Age, and Kyuss, as well as their live performances at stoner rock festivals such as America's Emissions from the Monolith and Europe's Roadburn Festival, have rooted them deeply in this genre of rock.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Godspeed years

In 1994, east coast rockers Godspeed went to Electric Lady Studios to record their Atlantic Records debut album Ride. Featuring future Solace members Tommy Southard and Rob Hultz, Godspeed's major label run included a cover of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" for Nativity in Black: A Tribute to Black Sabbath with Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson, tours of the United States and Europe with Black Sabbath, Dio, Cathedral, and Sugartooth, as well as a music video for their single "Houston Street" featured on MTV's Headbanger's Ball and Beavis and Butt-head.

[edit] The birth of Solace

Godspeed dissolved after just one album, but following stints as lead guitarist for both Sugartooth and Slap Rocket, Southard reformed the band in 1996 with Hultz and former Glueneck singer Jason, naming the revamped outfit Solace. After a 1997 demo, Solace released their self-titled 7" debut in 1998, followed by 1999's Distanced from Reality EP, a split with fellow New Jerseyans Solarized.

Soon afterwards, the band released its debut LP, 2000's Further. A cover by metal art veteran Wes Benscoter (Slayer's Divine Intervention) hinted at darkness within the album, which was quickly considered a departure from the stoner rock pigeon-hole the band had already been put into.

[edit] 13 and beyond

In 2003, the band released the follow-up to Further, its second full-length album 13. Artist, fan, and friend of Solace Paul Vismara created the album's cover. Considered by some to be musically superior to its predecessor,[2] 13 helped Solace further define themselves as more than simply stoner rock, assisted by the vocals and guitar work of doom metal legend Scott Weinrich (also known as Wino, formerly of The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, and Spirit Caravan) on the track "Common Cause".

Soon after the release of 13, the song "Indolence" was used on the soundtrack of the popular video game Tony Hawk's Underground. 2003 also saw the band finalize their line-up with former Lethal Aggression drummer Kenny Lund and the addition of second guitarist Justin Daniels. With this new line-up, they entered the studio once again in 2004 to record Black Market/Hammerhead, a split EP with Albany, New York's Greatdayforup.

Solace's half of this split EP was re-released on vinyl in 2006. In the meantime, the band was in the studio working on tracks for its next release, A. D.

[edit] Bad luck

From early in their career, Solace has been faced with almost mysterious problems. The band had an estimated 8 different drummers between 1996 and 2003[3] and suffered through supposed splits with vocalist Jason. Even seemingly random accidents—one resulting in the destruction of the original master tapes to their second album 13—vexed the band.[4]

This curse seemed to be lifted at least somewhat in 2003, but returned only a year later when drummer Kenny Lund was diagnosed with cancer. All of the band's plans were halted, including a new recording contract with independent label Century Media. This setback did not stop them from returning to the studio once Lund recovered in 2005 to begin work on their as-yet unreleased album A. D. Later that year, the band faced yet another hurdle—this time in the form of undisclosed personal problems and were forced to cancel a coast-to-coast US tour. This heralded the start of a hiatus that lasted months.

[edit] Solace today

In April 2006, Solace regrouped and headed to Europe for Holland's Roadburn Festival. Upon their return, they strengthened their resolve further toward a new release. The band went into the studio to finish A. D. in time for a May 2007 European tour, only to realize that their creation was simply too vast for a single album. Four tracks were selected for release as The Black Black, which was completed and pressed to coincide with the European tour.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current members

  • Tommy Southard – guitar (Formerly of Prunella Scales, Slap Rocket, Godspeed, Social Decay, and Sugartooth, among others)
  • Justin Daniels – guitar
  • Kenny Lund – drums (Formerly of Lethal Aggression)
  • Rob Hultz – bass guitar (Formerly of Godspeed, Lethal Aggression)
  • Jason - vocals (formerly of Glueneck)

[edit] Former members

  • John Proveaux - drums
  • Bill Belford - drums
  • Matt Gunvordahl - drums
  • Keith Ackerman - drums (currently of The Atomic Bitchwax)
  • George Barberio - Guitar

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Compilations

  • Stone Deaf Forever (1999, Red Sun Records)
  • Judge Not (2000, Underdogma Records)
  • Doomed (2000, The Dark Reign Records)
  • Where the Bad Boys Rock (2001, People Like You Records)
  • The Mighty Desert Rock Avengers (2002, People Like You Records)
  • MeteorCity Hellacious 2002 Sampler (2002, MeteorCity)
  • Rebirth of the Heavy, Volume 2 (2004, The Music Cartel)
  • Burn the Street (2005, Daredevil Records)

[edit] Tribute albums

[edit] Videography

  • "Die Drunk" (2006, Ambrosia Path Productions)
  • "Cement Stitches" (2006, Ambrosia Path Productions)
  • "Hungry Mother" (2006, Ambrosia Path Productions)
  • Solace: The Videos—Volume 1 (2006, Ambrosia Path Productions)
  • Solace: Roadburn (2006, Ambrosia Path Productions)

[edit] Other media

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Varney, Brian. Solace: An Interview with guitarist Tommy Southard. lollipop.com.
  2. ^ Rivadavia, Ed. Further review. All Music Guide.
  3. ^ "Pentheus" (2003-07). Interview with Solace (Tom Southard). Monolith. (The number of different drummers from 1996-2003 has been estimated from as little as 7 to as high as 12.)
  4. ^ Varney, Brian. 13. lollipop.com.