SOULHENGE - Anachronism

Soulhenge - Anachronism

4 songs
17:24 minutes
***** ***
(self-released)

Bandpage

I used to think of Soulhenge as just another metalcore band from Luxembourg. Although familiar with their debut album Fragments from 2014, I only learned to appreciate them for real at this year’s Metal Battle competition where their fierce performance made them truly stand out, even though they didn’t win in the end. And still I think that they must have come in as a close second.

A short two years after their debut, the band is back with Anachronism, even though this time we only get a four track EP. The addition of new vocalist Ozzy has of course helped to shape their sound into new directions, but it’s also guitarist and songwriter Milian’s merit that the new Soulhenge sound much more mature than in the past. I guess the metalcore label is passé. Instead the band sees itself as a modern progressive metal band, with artists like TesseracT and Periphery among their major influences. The music’s foundation is still quite harsh metal, but the vocals that switch between brutal and melodic add a new depth. Guitarist Milian is a true craftsman. He even plays a strangely weird guitar with diagonal frets, an instrumental probably only favoured by those who really want to dig into new directions.

As a matter of fact, the musicians see themselves as djentlemen, showing that the djent movement has left a lasting impression on their sound. The rhythms as crazily complex, bass is very important to their sound, so much so that my radio stereo had to fight hard to get a clear image, but maybe one needs a better sound system to fully enjoy their songs. Next to these progressive shenanigans, there are also the majestically melodic parts that prove that this band is more than just another mere extreme metal band. The four songs each come with many different layers and parts, sometimes there are even electronic beats and sequences that are used to add a futurist flair.

So yes, Soulhenge have not truly invented this sound, but right now they are probably the only metal band in Luxembourg mastering these convoluted exercises between aggression and beauty. Anachronism is a huge leap forward for this young band, and if they keep up like that, and maybe take a little bit of the bass out of the mix, their next record, hopefully a longplayer, will be one for the history books. Currently Soulhenge are the hottest modern metal band in Luxembourg, and their progressive aggressive complex sound should not have a hard time finding its followers. If you don’t believe me, you can check out Anachronism on different streaming platforms and download it for any price you like on their Bandcamp page.

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