Label: Massacre Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Viper Solfa is a band made up of some the best Norwegian metal musicians. They were formed in 2013 by Ronny Thorsen from Trail of Tears and they have just released their debut album, “Carving An Icon” via Massacre Eecords. In addition to Mr. Thorsen, the band is completed by female vocalist Sphinx (Ram-Zet, Endling), guitarist Morfeus (Mayhem, Limbonic Art), bassist Endre Moe (Trail of Tears) and drummer Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow (Trail of Tears).
The 52-minute disc kicks off with the relentless “Deranged”. Ronny Thorsen’s fierce vocals remain intact and joining him is female vocalist Sphinx who eschews the usual method of the operatic vocals in favor of a more melodic mid-range style. This in fact works extremely well. The next track “Funeral of Kings” is an excellent track which begins with a doom metal vibe before veering off into thrash metal insanity. There is a lot to sink your teeth into on “Carving an Icon”. The title track is a hugely bombastic number. The songwriting is great and the musicianship is even better. Some other highlights include: “The Toxic Thousands”, “Call For Silence” and “Whispers and Storms”. There is no doubt that “Carving an Icon” is an album that is heavy-as-all-hell but also manages to inject healthy amounts of melody.
“Carving an Icon” is a positively energetic and uncompromising record. Even though Viper Solfa features some great talent from other well-known bands, they are their own entity and should be judged on their own merits.
Rating – 85/100
Tracklist
- Deranged
- Funeral of Kings
- Carving an Icon
- The Toxic Thousands
- Vulture Kingdom
- Call for Silence
- War of Zion
- The Viper Legion
- Whispers and Storms
- Shahanshah
Line Up
- Ronny Thorsen – Vocals
- Sphinx – Vocals
- Morfeus – Guitars
- Endre Moe – Bass
- Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow – Drums