Solace are a stoner doom band from the US and this is their fifth album.
Fading Failing Ruin contains 67 minutes of substantial stoner doom metal. Solace’s brand of heavy music is remarkably engaging, and this new record finds them at the top of their game.
Fading Failing Ruin effectively combines stoner and doom metal into a highly compelling whole. Throw in some classic metal chops here and there, and you have a recipe for success. If you’re in the market for some Grade A Stoner Doom, you’ve come to right place.
Solace know their work inside and out at this point. Well, they pretty much mastered the style on their 2000 debut record Further, which is an absolute classic of the style, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have anything else to offer. Far from it, as Fading Failing Ruin is a top tier album, and different from Further too, with its own voice. Very few bands playing in the stoner doom arenas can claim to be as good at what they do as Solace are.
Fading Failing Ruin offers up a songwriting masterclass for fans of substance-rich metallic heaviness and good old-fashioned metal songsmithing to obsess over for some time to come. The doom, stoner, and classic metal influences, (as well as touches of punk and grunge), that have gone into the making of these nine tracks are familiar and easy to digest, yet Solace have a certain magical sparkle all of their own. There’s a personality and character here that’s infectious. Solace make the material shine effortlessly.
The songs are a feast of riffs, melody, and attitude. Solace are warmly heavy, and have a wealth of leads and solos to charm and dazzle. The band know how to rock out big style, but also take the time when needed to expand their reach and explore deeper atmospheric depths. This well-rounded approach allows for each track to have its own character, while also still fitting in nicely with everything else. The album flows naturally, like a river of doom metal that’s come to wash away the unworthy. Or something. Basically, Solace rule.
The guitars are one of this record’s many assets, and one can only imagine other bands looking enviously at Solace’s impressive riffcraft. And then there’s the extremely strong vocals. In a style plagued by lazy singing, the vocalist of Solace stands out. His voice is just excellent, and his performance is exemplary across Fading Failing Ruin, (which can also be said about the other band members’ performances too).
This is a great record, packed with hugely enjoyable songs. Fading Failing Ruin is sure to be one of the very best that this style offers in 2026.
Essential listening for sure.
Wonderbox Metal 