Release Date: March 14th 2025. Record Label: Argonauta Records / Octopus Rising. Formats: CD/DD
Solastalgia - Tracklisting
Get Up Again – 5:52
Show Me How To Fly – 5:39
A Single Mind – 6:33
Enough Time – 4:46
Deceptive Security – 4:19
Wishes – 6:05
All This Dead Time – 4:31
Interstellar Haze – 6:59
Members
Lars Grote - Vocals/Guitars
Dennis Obermann - Bass
John Sourial - Drums
Jannick Berg - Guitars
Review
Solastalgia is the new album from Stoner Metallers PLASMAJET and is their first new album in seven years since the release of their excellent debut album United Dementia. Aligning themselves to Italian Trendsetting Label Argonauta Records imprint label Octopus Rising, the band have upped their creative game for this album.
Solastalgia has more of a dramatic flair of Blues, Groove, Grunge, Psych, Doom and Heavy Rock compared to their debut album. The album can be quite dramatic and over the top in places with PLASMAJET utilizing all the finer elements of Grooved Out Stoner Metal scene to it’s full advantage.
There’s a slight subtle change with Psychedelic passages coming into play and disrupting the full-on Stoner Metal experience but PLASMAJET know what they’re doing with HEAVY FUZZY grooves keeping things grounded with quite an organic sound being delivered from the ground up on the blistering opening tracks of Get Up Again and Show Me How To Fly.
With a classic Hard Rock / Heavy Metal atmosphere being heard within the production values with Martin Giemza, guitarist of German power metal veterans Rebellion handling mixing and mastering duties. PLASMAJET takes influences from Monster Magnet, Truckfighters, KAL-EL and Red Fang on Solastalgia for certain stages but adds a cerebral Groove Metal oriented vision to their music especially with the lyrics and vocals that appear for the majority of the tracks.
Solastalgia has a true “END OF THE WORLD” theme with the record touching upon environmental issues which is quite original in places and allows PLASMAJET to have real air of social conscience around their music. If you want to solely concentrate on the mighty riffs with a hardened Groove Rock/Metal approach then that’s fine as PLASMAJET have all bases covered on that score especially on tracks such as A Single Mind, Enough Time, Wishes, All This Dead Time and Interstellar Haze. With PLASMAJET moving across multiple areas of Stoner Metal with supreme confidence with a subtle technical level of detail being shown through the neverending instrumental solos and spaced out passages that have a violent Sludge Rock sound bursting through the seams.
The vocals from Lars Grote taps mostly into the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal arena of old school theatrics but Lars adds a subtle modern day gruff sounding Doom/Stoner Metal persona to his vocals which is quite different to their debut album. As Lars feels more comfortable and commanding on this record that gives a heavier element to Solastalgia that you don’t expect.
Solastalgia is a superb RAWK AND ROLL musical adventure set within the realm of Stoner Rock/Metal with an unforgiving presence to PLASMAJET’s way of delivering a record with a deep socially aware message to impress the underground masses with.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.
Solastalgia will be available to buy on CD/DD via Argonauta Records / Octopus Rising from Friday 14th March 2025.
Links
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