Normally, I'm not a fan of downloads. For my part, I always like to have something tangible in my hands, whether it's in the form of a CD, a cassette, or a vinyl record – the main thing is that I can hold something! However, if a download is designed as lovingly as the band Soledown has done (band info, lyrics, images were all to my complete satisfaction), then I am willing to overlook that and even be pleased about it. First of all, a heartfelt thank you for that!
The five musicians from Cologne may look a bit intimidating at first glance, but they prove that appearance doesn't necessarily say anything about the music.
The six-song download may offer hard riffing and partially good screaming sections, but that's where the status of “tough guys” ends. You often get the feeling that the line to aggression is always touched upon, but never really crossed. As a result, a lot of work is done with guitar melodies to create a lot of atmosphere and sound diversity. Despite all the power that is always noticeable, it still sounds somewhat dreamy. The drums contribute significantly to the fact that the band's songs always work in a relatively moderate tempo and never drift into too fast beats. This serves the band very well, as I don't believe that the vocals could have had the same effect at a faster speed.
Speaking of vocals: They turn out to be a mix of many different singers. I hear a bit of Metallica, a pinch of Foo Fighters, and maybe a little Nickelback, without wanting to overly fixate on anyone. Because the voice still sounds a bit too different for that, but the family resemblance is quite fitting.
Despite the roughness of the singer, there is mostly a refrain from roaring or screaming. To everyone's surprise, the focus is placed on ensuring that the lyrics are not only well understood but also adapt to the guitar in terms of sound diversity. Here, too, a very melodic approach is taken, trying – depending on the song – to create a different mood. And what luck: It has succeeded!
Lyrically, the Cologne band can be placed more in a dark corner, despite their less “gloomy” sounding instruments. A special emphasis is placed on their own emotional world, which is almost always reflected in the lyrics. Particularly, the word soul comes up quite often and is likely the key word for this band. It’s about despair, hopelessness, or simply about one’s own dreams. However, a consistently negative picture is not painted; sometimes, a small spark of hope shines through (even if it is plagued by ignorance), giving the song a different note at the end. Ultimately, Soledown still remain in the depths of the human emotional world (which makes them quite sympathetic to me personally) and show themselves more from their dark side… at least, if I understood all of this correctly.
The band may not be the promised Messiah (as almost announced in the band info), but they offer a very nice and damn listenable niche in the rock world. If someone wants to hear something a bit “different” without really switching genres, they can certainly make some nice discoveries with Soledown.
