They say that third time is the charm, and Solace Of Requiem's third effort, 'The Great Awakening,' may be just that for its fans. In the past the group was putting out brutal Death Metal with technical elements that sounded great to the average Death Metal fan, but to more veteran listeners, it just didn't break ice. With this offering, the sound is sharper, harder, and crushes with a lot more skill and rhythm. It does sound a bit like Deicide on the vocal and instrument tone front, but the music is pretty impressive rather than being a mild 'chug fest.' Tracks like "Devine Punishment" feature fantastic solos amongst a steady backing rhythm that often will break out into musical pandemonium, though slightly more contained than what someone might hear in a genre like Grindcore. The guitars still try to be the focus but they don't steal the show entirely. "Those Born To Suffer" are a bit more brutal and sound more like Decrepit Birth in the way that the verse sections just shred away, and the technical interludes sound even more visceral, but offer more musicianship. The band was even kind enough to throw in an interlude to give listeners a breather to pause and wonder if such insanity is real. "Scourge Of Wills" reminds that it is.
"Artic Reflection" is a special highlight simply because every note of it rings correctly with how a listener of Technical Death Metal would envision the music to sound. There are even progressive elements such as the faint, but audible keyboard in the background that make a world's difference in bringing more attention to the music here than on other tracks which are the switch between 'chug and solo' format. The riffs are also different, maybe it is the guitar tones, but the crushing, brutal atmosphere mixed with the precision of the instruments definitely show how Solace Of Requiem have really stepped up their game. While overall the album doesn't feature a 'track by track' showcase that makes each one radically different from the other, and listeners can say "Oh, I recognize that one as 'Rivers' compared to 'Scourge Of Wills,'" 'The Great Awakening' will certainly be a wake up call to both new listeners and naysayers who felt that Solace Of Requiem wasn't going anywhere up to this point.
