Release Date: April 04th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
The Crooked Path - Tracklisting
1.Black Onyx 05:02
2.The Crooked Path 05:52
3.Proxima B 01:10
4.Emperor of the Void 06:39
5.Oeselian 03:44
6.Phantom Queen 08:33
7.A Circle of Stars 02:56
8.Wasteland 05:10
9.Oathbreaker 05:29
Members
Jeff Keeton on Drums
Patrick Keene on Bass & Vocals
Review
Doom/Stoner Metallers Solar Monolith brings a BASS HEAVY style of Punk Rock attitude to their superbly entertaining album The Crooked Path. Solar Monolith say on their BandCamp Page their music is for fans of Acid King, SLEEP, Black Sabbath and Budgie. That’s a very cool description but I would also add MELVINS and MONSTER MAGNET to that list. As there’s a subtle 1990’s Grunge/Sludge hybrid energy that appears within this superbly talented duo.
This BASS & DRUMS duo play a highly energetic style of music with a GONZO/OUTSIDER approach being delivered throughout the album. The grooves aren’t the most subtle but you have to give Solar Monolith credit for making music that thrives off being IN YOUR FACE the whole time but still finds a killer way of delivering harsh melodies with a dirge ridden creative attitude being shown within their lyrics.
The songs that make up The Crooked Path are all similar in nature with FUZZED UP and DOOM METAL sounds having that sudden shift in Garage Rock dynamics whilst having a certain WEEDIAN flavour appearing on the record’s early tracks such as Black Onyx, The Crooked Path and Emperor Of The Void. You can see Solar Monolith like their name implies branching out to the far reaches of Space which they deliver with a perfect sounding and NO FUCKS given attitude with Patrick Keene’s sublime off-kilter vocals and heavy bass playing.
Jeff Keeton on drums is just as good with his manic and brilliantly controlled drumming performance unleashing a torrent of classic Hard Rock / Heavy Metal beats when the time calls for it. A friend of mine listened to this record recently and they described it as MONSTER MAGNET being fronted by IGGY POP which I can see for small parts of the record but it’s mostly Solar Monolith being brilliantly WEIRD and WONDERFUL on their uncompromising terms especially when they start experimenting with distorted sounds and trippy psychedelic beats which can be quite challenging in places.
Other standout tracks to check out are: Oeselian, Phantom Queen, Wasteland and Oathbreaker where Solar Monolith has some epic Blues Rock sound which gives the album a whole Classic Rock feel. The Crooked Path has a deliriously demented and creative outlook with it’s subtle LO-FI production values allowing the band to release a great album if you want something brilliantly BASS HEAVY to listen to.
Words by Steve Howe
Links
Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram
