Album Review: Solar Deity – In The Name Of Satan [9.5 out of 10]

By Aniruddh “Andrew” Bansal

Based out of Mumbai, India, black metal band Solar Deity is a duo made up of Aditya Mehta on vocals, bass & guitar, and Yash Pathak on drums. Both of them are also members of Mumbai’s longstanding death metal outfit Exhumation. The Solar Deity debut album “In The Name Of Satan” was released online earlier this month, and the music on this release can be best described as straight-up black metal, quite different from what they’ve done so far on past Exhumation releases. This five-track, 17-minute onslaught is just a small taste of what this promising new band can deliver, and based on a few listens, I think it’s pretty safe to say that they’ve made a successful beginning to this project.

Everything about this album emphatically screams ‘black metal’. The band’s logo is completely unreadable, unless of course you know their name already. The album title ‘In The Name Of Satan’ speaks for itself, and the epic song titles ensure that there is no shortage of Satan worship even before you get to the actual lyrics. But above all else, it’s the music that stands out in this piece.

Its short duration of 17 minutes heightens its impact and leaves the listener desiring more, having no choice but to click on ‘Repeat’. Track #1 is an eerie intro which provides the lull before the storm that ensues. The songwriting is excellent, and as a result, the intensity of the album is relentless. The combination of Aditya Mehta’s insane riffs and vocals, along with Yash Pathak’s bestial drumming makes this a worthwhile listen for anyone who considers himself or herself to be a fan of black metal.

The strength of the music is further increased by the style of production and mixing. The production is well done as it’s not overtly crude. It’s the mixing which really gives this a true black metal flavor, because Yash Pathak’s cymbals are extremely dominant in the mix. This only means one thing: the listener has to raise the volume quite a lot to be able to hear the vocals and guitar, thus getting a real ear-crushing experience. This is another reason why the 17-minute duration is perfect, because even if this was a 30-minute album, your eardrums might have exploded by the time you reached its end.

If I have to pick a favorite track, it has to be track #3, “Blasphemous Chanting On A Moonless Night”. Besides possessing the brutality that typifies the music on this album as a whole, this track is atmospheric and has a touch of melody in it. Having said that, I invariably listen to this album as a single 17-minute piece, and I think that’s the way it should be treated.

All in all, I’m thoroughly impressed by Solar Deity’s debut effort, and I’d strongly recommend black metal fans to check it out.

Rating: 9.5/10

Record Label: Nephalist Recordings
Release Date: April 2012

Track Listing:
1. An Everlasting Fire In Those Of Purest Flesh And Blood
2. Declaration Of Satanic Victory And Eternal Reign
3. Blasphemous Chanting On A Moonless Night
4. Ceremonial Feast At The Black Temple
5. Last Rays From A Dying Sun Cannot Penetrate The Impending Darkness

Links:
http://www.facebook.com/SolarDeityIndia
http://solar-deity.bandcamp.com

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