Solace

Solace
Solace
	; Solace circa 2020.
Background information
Origin	Asbury Park, New Jersey
Genres	Heavy Metal, Stoner Metal, Stoner Rock, Rock n' Roll, Doom Metal
Years active	1996 - Present
Labels	MeteorCity Records, Small Stone Records, Blues Funeral Recordings, UnderDogma Records, Land O'Smiles, Warpburner
Associated acts	Godspeed, Trouble, The Atomic Bitchwax, Black Nasa, The Disease Concept, Chrome Waves, Social Decay, The Brimstones
Website	Solace Facebook

Solace are a heavy metal band from Asbury Park, New Jersey. Formed in 1996 by the remaining members of Atlantic Records artist Godspeed, Solace is most well known in the stoner rock genre, but guitarist and founding member Tommy Southard has stated "We're not a stoner band, we're a rock 'n' roll band—a hard rock band, a metal band."^[1] This idea was reaffirmed by iTunes.com in 2010 when they voted the band's third studio album A.D. "2010 Metal Album of the Year".^[2] Nonetheless the band gained a reputation in the stoner rock scene, releasing albums with the likes of MeteorCity Records and Small Stone Records along with live performances at the likes of Emissions from the Monolith and Roadburn Festival.

To date Solace have released four studio albums along with a host of extended plays and other releases. Notably their music has also been featured in various other media such as the iconic video game Tony Hawk's Underground, the soundtrack to American Skier (2004, X Ski Films) and the MTV show Homewrecker.

History[]

Formation and Further (1996 - 2001)[]

Preceding the formation of Solace, Tommy Southard and Rob Hultz were in a heavy metal band known as Godspeed, whom formed in 1992. Recording at Electric Lady Studios the band would release a single album in Ride via Atlantic Records in 1994. Notably the band also recorded a cover of "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" for Nativity in Black with Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) as a guest. The band notable toured North America and Europe alongside the likes of Black Sabbath, Dio, Cathedral and Sugartooth among others. The band notably had a single in "Houston Street" which was featured on MTV's Headbangers Ball and Beavis and Butt-head.

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 the former Glueneck singer known simply as Jason. This revamped lineup would re-name themselves Solace. The band started with releasing a demo in 1997, followed by the eponymous 7" single Solace the next year. The next year would see the band signed with MeteorCity Records, their first release with the label being Distanced From Reality, a part of the split album Jersey Devils with the New Jersey stoner rock band Solarized.

Recording at Trax East with engineer and producer Eric Rachel, Solace would work on a debut album. Featuring artwork by Wes Benscoter (Mortician, Hypocrisy, Slayer, etc.), Further would see release via MeteorCity Records in 2000 to positive reviews.

13, Bad Luck and Touring (2002 - 2009)[]

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 vexed the band.^[4] Despite these challenges and setbacks Solace would record again at Trax East with Eric Rachel, with Southard also producing. The band also notably changed their lineup with drummer Kenny Lund (Lethal Aggression), guitarist Justin Daniels and Duane Hutter (Black Nasa) on bass.^[5]

13 would see release via MeteorCity Records on 3 February 2003 to positive reception, at the time and retroactively, from several publications such as AllMusic,^[6] Indieville,^[7] metal.de,^[8] Outlaws of The Sun^[9] and The Obelisk^[10] among others. 13 helped define the band's mix of stoner rock, hardcore and heavy metal, along with featuring covers of Pentagram and Agnostic Front along with Scott Weinrich (The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, etc.) on "Common Cause". Lastly "Indolence" would appear in the popular video game Tony Hawk's Underground.

Solace would intend to tour and sign with Century Media but would halt plans when drummer Kenny Lund was diagnosed with cancer. The band would record a split EP entitled Black Market/Hammerhead, alongside the Albany, New York band Greatdayforup. Work would begin on a third studio album once Lund recovered in 2005. The band would participate in a short tour surrounding an appearance at Emissions from the Monolith but 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.^[11]

The next year the band would bounce back and perform in Europe for the first time, namely at Holland's Roadburn Festival.^[12] The next year would see the band touring with Orange Goblin in the United Kingdom and later their annual Christmas showcase.^[13] The band released an EP entitled The Black Black to coincide with the United Kingdom tour. 2008 would see Kenny Lund depart from the band with original drummer Keith Ackerman rejoining.^[14]

A.D. and The Brink (2010 - Present)[]

With a new solidified lineup and momentum gained Solace would finish work on their third album. Along with finishing the third album, Solace would tour Europe alongside Doomraiser, including a return to Roadburn Festival, followed by appearances at Stoner Hands of Doom and a showcase for Small Stone Records, whom the band would sign to.^[15]

Recording at various studios in a timeline spanning nearly five years, A.D. would see release via Small Stone Records on 1 June 2010. Along with attaining critical praise from the likes of The Obelisk,^[16] Three Paper Reviews,^[17] The Sleeping Shaman^[18] and AllMusic^[19] the album would attain "Album of The Year" accolades from the likes of iTunes and The Obelisk.^[20] The band would appear at SXSW, Hellfest and a tour of the United Kingdom with Orange Goblin at the end of the year to support A.D.^[21]

Following appearance at SXSW in March 2011,^[22] Solace would announce that June on their official Facebook that they were "closed for business" and that they "may or may not re-open".^[23] However by the next year the band would re-group. By 2015 the band would undergo a significant change: A new drummer in Tim Schoenleber and a new vocalist in Justin Goins (The Brimstones), replacing the reclusive and eccentric Jason. The new lineup would record for the first time in five years, recording a cover of "Electric Funeral" for the Deadline Music tribute Sweet Leaf: A Tribute to Black Sabbath. The band released the cover along with a new original song entitled Bird of Ill Omen, described by The Obelisk as having "characteristic intensity, volume and unbridled rhythmic force.".^[24]

Solace would perform sporadically in their hometown New Jersey along with various festivals such as The Maryland Doom Fest while beginning work on a fourth studio album. Recording at Trax East with longtime engineer and producer Eric Rachel, Solace would announce details on their fourth album in November 2019 along with a new label Blues Funeral Recordings and premiering a new song in "Desert Coffin".^[25] Their first album in nearly a decade, The Brink would see release on 13 December 2019 to positive reviews the likes of Outlaws of The Sun,^[26] The Obelisk,^[27] Desert Highways,^[28] Metal Temple^[29] and Decibel Magazine^[30] among others.

Discography[]

Studio Albums[]

Further (2000, MeteorCity Records)
13 (2003, MeteorCity Records)
A.D. (2010, Small Stone Records)
The Brink (2019, Blues Funeral Recordings)

Other Releases[]

Solace (Demo) (1997, Self-Released)
Solace (7" Single) (1997, Warpburner Records)
Jersey Devils (Split with Solarized) (1999, MeteorCity Records; Freebird Records)
Beyond Further (Compilation) (2000, Self-Released)
Blackmarket / Hammerhead (Split with Greatdayforup) (2004, Underdogma)
2004 (DVD-R) (2004, TubeVision)
The Videos: Volume One (DVD) (2006, Ambrosia Path)
Hammerhead (EP) (2006, Land O'Smiles)
Roadburn (DVD) (2007, Ambrosia Path)
The Black Black (EP) (2007, Underdogma)
Bird of Ill Omen / Electric Funeral (Single) (2015, Self-Released)

Members[]

Current Lineup[]

Tommy Southard - Guitar (1996 - Present)
Justin Daniels - Guitar (2004 - Present)
Justin Goins - Keyboard, Vocals (2015 - Present)
Tim Schoenleber - Drums (2015 - Present)
Mike Sica - Bass (2018 - Present)

Past Members[]

Jason - Vocals (1996 - 2014)
Jason Silverio - Drums (1996 - 1998)
Rob Hultz - Bass (1996 - 2002, 2005? - 2018)
Keith Ackerman - Drums (1998 - 2000, 2008 - 2014)
Matt Gunvordahl - Drums (2000? - 2002?)
Bill Belford - Drums (Unknown Time Period)
John Proveaux - Drums (2002 - 2004)
Duane Hutter - Bass (2003 - 2005?)
Kenny Lund - Drums (2004 - 2008)

List of Known Tours[]

2005 North American Tour (2005)^[31]
Bring Out Your Dead UK Tour (With Orange Goblin) (2007)
The Black Black Tour (With Doomraiser) (2007)
2009 European Tour (2009)^[32]
15th Anniversary UK Tour (With Orange Goblin, Firebird) (2010)^[33]
2011 SXSW Mini-Tour (2011)^[34]

External Links[]

References[]

[1] Lollipop Magazine

[2] Tunes Official

[3] Monolith

[4] Lollipop Magazine

[5] Die Drunk via Wayback Machine

[6] AllMusic

[7] IndieVille

[8] tal.de

[9] Outlaws of The Sun

[10] The Obelisk

[11] Die Drunk via Wayback Machine

[12] Last.fm

[13] Last.fm

[14] Solace via Tripod

[15] Last.fm

[16] The Obelisk

[17] Three Paper Reviews

[18] The Sleeping Shaman

[19] [1]

[20] The Obelisk

[21] Last.fm

[22] Last.fm

[23] Solace Facebook

[24] The Obelisk

[25] Metal Injection

[26] Outlaws of The Sun

[27] The Obelisk

[28] Desert Highways

[29] Metal Temple

[30] Decibel Magazine

[31] Official Page via Wayback Machine

[32] Official Page via Wayback Machine

[33] Last.fm

[34] Last.fm

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