With two ex-Biomechanical members in the ranks you can be sure that Solsikk know their way around their instruments and this debut full length recording is without doubt very competently performed. However, perhaps surprisingly, when you strip away the quirky vocal presence of front woman Vykki and some of the trimmings and fripperies what you’ve essentially got is some punchy, generic groove metal.
The ghosts of Pantera can be heard weaving their way through a huge proportion of these riffs and you can quite easily imagine Phil Anselmo or one of his many million faceless, characterless impersonators roaring and shouting where Vykki sings. Solsikk feels shallow and without substance, something that could easily be part of the interchangeable background noise at an Electric Ballroom club night, albeit with some added metal muscle.
There is a reasonably nice ballad wedged into the middle of all the big, grooving riffs but it sounds very out of place. My wife even asked me if I was listening to Celine Dion while it was playing which tells you how comfortably it fits with the rest of what Solsikk have to offer. There is a question of personal taste at work here, Solsikk are not my cup of tea and will undoubtedly find more favour elsewhere, but when so many of these riffs feel regurgitated and interchangeable and so many of the songs are instantly forgettable, I can’t in all good conscience recommend this album to anyone.
http://www.myspace.com/solsikk
Chris Kee
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