Solemn Vision: Despite The Rise of the Sun Review

Solemn Vision; Despite the Rise of the Sun 

Review by Lily O’Delia 

I’ve always loved bands that aren’t afraid to show their softer side in death metal. You know, the ones that go melodic without turning into something overly polished or saccharine. Solemn Vision nails that delicate balance between melodic and metal on their most recent album Despite the Rise of the Sun.(released by Black Lion Records) This album has both precision and real heart behind it.

The opening track, “Father From the Flame ” grabs you right away. Aaron Harris does a great job on vocals. His harsh growls are like they’re coming from underground, but when he switches to those clean soaring parts it’s like finally breathing after holding your breath too long. It actually feels vulnerable which isn’t something you get in death metal every day.

The rhythm section is what really gets me. On songs like “Avarice ” Carlos Crowcell’s drums feel completely unrestrained. Totally locked in; like a panic attack turned into something beautiful with Solemn Vision. The twin guitars from Mauricio Cornejo and Kadin Wisniewski weave these intense layered riffs. Anthony Rafferty’s bass holds everything down. There’s this rare sense of space and atmosphere with Solemn Vision. They’re not just throwing riffs around; they’re building worlds with Solemn Vision.

Tracks like the seven-minute “Bane and Benumbed” nod to Opeth or Katatonia but it never sounds like a copycat thing with Solemn Vision. They have their own distinct sound with a New York edge to it, leaning with urgency like it’s coming straight from the streets.

Then there’s “Gates,” which really feels like the high-voltage center of the whole record. It’s an aggressive, no-filler track that hits with the weight of a physical confrontation, clearly born out of that restless, trapped energy we all felt during the lockdown. There’s no fluff here; just five minutes of pure, high-speed momentum.

Musically, “Gates” is a straight-shooter. It captures that “melting pot” intensity of New York City, where everything is fast and loud and right in your face. The rhythm section hits like a sledgehammer, and Aaron’s vocals stay pushed to the red the entire time. It’s the kind of song that reminds you why you fell in love with this music in the first place; it’s fast, it’s cathartic, and it doesn’t apologize for taking up space.

The title, Despite the Rise of the Sun, feels like a middle finger to the inevitable. It’s an admission that even though the morning is coming, the shadows aren’t done with us yet. “On the Eve of Silence” captures that friction perfectly; it’s a track that pivots from this heavy, suffocating intensity into a striking and sharp melodic breakdown.

This is a record that demands you actually show up for it. You need to sit with it in a dark room, maybe with a stiff drink and the window cracked just enough to let the city’s low hum bleed in. It’s a reminder that even when the sun comes up over a world that feels like it’s falling apart, there’s a real, heavy strength in simply refusing to move.

If this is where American melodic death metal is headed, I’m all in. Solemn Vision has tapped into their own unique rhythm and they’ve created a remarkable album. Despite the Rise of the Sun is a serious triumph for melodic death metal.