Solvant : March of the Infidels
Perhaps it is my bias for heavy music – but Solvant's latest release, March of the Infidels, might be the alternative metal outfit’s best so far. Having been around for quite awhile in the Singaporean music scene, with their veteran members having a foothold in acts such as General Lee, it's no surprise that March of the Infidels turned out as it did. Hell, if it doesn't gain any steam, it might be one of the better songs to fly under the scene’s radar this year.
What got me hooked on first listen was the vocals. Sounding like a mix between Breaking Benjamin’s Benjamin Burnley and Killswitch Engage’s Howard Jones, the first verse slowly builds up to that amazing chorus, with the melody they chose between the first and second stanzas particularly memorable. The band also manages to not overlook the overall mix’s low end – something which, for some reason, a lot of local bands neglect. I'm not only talking about the bass guitar tone – which was thick and provided the low end necessary for the song to shine, but also the tones in the song’s standalone sections, such as before the bridge and during the outro. Props to their mixing and mastering engineer.
However, the vocals could perhaps have been a little more forward in the mix during the verses. Even with a strong chorus with great melodies and harmonies, I wish it just stood out slightly more – whether through vocal doubling, some more reverb, or maybe even pushed back just a tinge in the mix during the choruses. Nevertheless, March of the Infidels is a marked improvement to Solvant’s work so far. Having seen them live a number of times, we’re looking forward to the band giving sick live performances again once the time comes – without seemingly having lost a step.