Release Date: July 24th 2026. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD
High Priestess - Tracklist
High Priestess
Burning Decay
Hollow
Members
Ryan Adair - Vocals
Dee Cleland - Rhythm Guitars
Jamie Wright - Lead Guitars
Ross Hunter - Bass
Marty Elley - Drums
Review
Grunge/Alt Metallers Solothurn latest EP - High Priestess - continues the great work they achieved with their previous single Hollow that was released last year. This time round Solothurn brings a heavier Progressive attitude to their music with some great melodies inspired by the Nineties Grunge, Alt-Metal and Stoner Metal scenes. The music is quite melodic with a hard hitting attitude with some intricate Psychedelic passages coming out to play which you can instantly feel within the excellent opening title track.
If you’re a fan of Alice In Chains, Deftones, Soundgarden, TOOL and Mastodon then Solothurn conjures similar sounds of those amazing bands whilst putting their own creative ideas into the mix. THe EP lasts twenty minutes with Solothurn moving their music into the Alternative Metal arena with each passing moment. There are small echoes of Doom Rock and Stoner Metal grooves appearing along the way but it’s mostly of that classic Grunge and Alt Metal dynamic that has the most lasting impact. The lyrics are superb which adds real emotional weight to the whole record.
The vocals from lead vocalist Ryan Adair are spectacular which he taps right into the Post-Metal and Prog Metal dynamic which works superbly well within the Grunge aesthetic which goes for a gloom and doom outlook on the other two tracks of Burning Decay and Hollow. The final track of Hollow was released last year but this version has been slightly revised which gives it extra weight from beginning to end.
High Priestess is an outstanding EP that allows Solothurn to make a real name for themselves with a record that delivers on all fronts with some great musical instrumental passages that leave you wanting more. I loved the transformation from Solothurn when they venture into more extreme levels of Heavy Metal. I hope they use that style of music greatly within their next release as they pull that off with great style and adds a more menacing presence to their music.
Check this out when you can.
Words by Steve Howe
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