Heavy Metal in New England is Alive and Well

Heavy metal in New England is alive and well, thank you very much. Not that I had been seriously doubting its continued existence in Providence – but as I can attest, after witnessing the superb Something Bloody metal festival at Dusk in July, the strength and depth of the genre have never felt more vital or all-encompassing than over the past few years. Maybe it’s because I tend bar in close proximity to Dusk and have felt the tidal pull of countless heavy shows that draw great crowds that spill out onto their sidewalk. Maybe it’s because quite a few bands that I have covered here such as Thrillhouse and Lolita Black, I first saw demolishing Dusk’s small stage under the foreboding brick walls and iron chandeliers. Most likely it was seeing the fruits of a year of hard work that culminated in their epic two-day outdoor event that drew bands and fans from all over New England and beyond to a well run and successful operation on the very same weekend as that other famous Rhode Island music festival. (There’s still time for Dylan to go metal...) Anyways, all evidence points to New England heavy metal being alive and well.

Solanum is a metal band that did not play the Something Bloody Festival; they’re rather new. They don’t yet swing in the same ballpark as some of the big names that filled that fest, nor do they run in the same cliques yet. But on the strength of their first album, this year’s No Need To Panic, and what is considered to be a pretty intense live show, they should be able to find themselves in a nice time slot for that festival’s sophomore run next summer.

Solanum spent the first chunk of its existence the way most bands do: with certain instruments going through a revolving door of band members before finding the right one. Right around the completion of No Need To Panic the band solidified its current lineup of Tanner Guimond on vocals, Justin George and Michael Chopoorian on guitar, Nick Pichette on bass and Mike Murnighan on drums. They quickly grew a small but vocal fan base that stretched modestly from their native Cumberland into Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Solanum began to develop their sound the way countless bands do: endless jamming in each others’ faces until a riff or a chord change sticks, and then working it up from there. It’s a tried and true method regardless of your chosen genre, which they feel is coming from a progressive metal type place. It reminds me of what we used to call grindcore and I honestly don’t know if the kids still call it that or if it has since shattered into a myriad of blistering sub-genres. But the unapologetic brutality with which Solanum’s track Pray For Death explodes into the air makes categorization a moot point. There’s a whole lotta Slayer going on in here and when done well it’s never a bad thing. A band in its early stages like Solanum is going to have a hard time breaking out of its immediate influences, but with this track it seems to be refining these influences into something unique. Along with some cool studio trickery they manage to make a well worn genre sound pretty fresh for a new band. On the title track, No Need To Panic, the band’s sheer musical proficiency is more than enough make the song wail furiously, and fortunately it’s a pretty great slab of churning metal with growly vocals that are incredibly understandable. The band members seem to think that their live show outshines their recorded material, but they are equally strong with both. So, do yourselves or that crusty kid in your life a favor and pick up Solanum’s No Need To Panic.