Solsikk – “Solsikk” EP (2008)

Independent Release

Review by Tony Cannella

From London come the 4-piece band known as Solsikk. The band personel is as follows: Vykki (Vocals), Chris (Guitar), Mark (Bass) and Matt (Drums). This band caught me totally by surprise since they were basically an unknown entity to me. Once I put the CD in and the first track kicked in I was totally won over. The music contained on this 4-song EP literally grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go throughout the duration of it’s 18 minutes. It is that powerful. Things get off to a frenzied start with the lead off track “Your Blistering Tongue”. Once this song gets started, it’s time to hang on for dear life. Vykki spits out the lyrics with such venom and conviction that you believe everything she sings. This is a great opener that immediately sets the pace for what is to follow. The guitar sound is maghine gun-like heavy and the vocals of Vykki are once again direct and aggressive. Vykki‘s vocals are strong throughout and it adds a nice texture to the music. The next track is “Freefall”, this song continues in the heavy vain but it is a bit slower than the previous one. It also features a great solo from Chris and some more fantastic vocal work from Vykki. This is a definite highlight. “Keep Pushing Me” and “Bloodlust” bring the CD to a close and maintains the heaviness heard on the first two. It would be wrong to classify Solsikk as just another metal band. True, they’re heavy enough but they also incorporate different elements of rock and the vocals of Vykki have enough power and range to go off into different directions. Also, the rest of the band is very talented, in particular the lead guitar work of Chris is very good. Overall, I was very impressed with what I heard on this CD. Solsikk is a massive sounding juggernaut of a CD. The impact of the four songs on offer here are immediate, to the point and can’t be denied. The music is heavy yet melodic and something that I am sure can and will appeal to a wide range of rock and metal fans.