Review by Felix on March 31, 2023.

Since the release of "Ceremony of Opposites" I was convinced that Samael are blessed with an extraordinary talent. "Passage" was already a very different but still fantastic work. Nevertheless, at the end of the last millennium, it became more and more obvious that Samael's intentions and my musical taste were no perfect match any longer. "Solar Soul" was another brick in the wall that separated their ambitions from my musical wishes.

First of all, it is no m***l album. Yes, I don't want to write the word m***l in this review, because the sound engineers worship synthesizers, while the guitars are just a subordinate accessory. In addition, none of the "natural feelings" of a m***l album does occur: no anger, no aggression, not even the smallest touch of insanity, no oppositional attitude, no revolutionary emotion. Instead, Samael offer eleven uniform tracks, standardized in length (3:30 – 4:39) and speed. Mid-tempo till death is on the agenda. Switzerland's avant-garde sees the highway, but the dudes prefer to drive on the side street with reduced traffic where life is a long and silent (or should I say boring?) river.

Anyway, let's get back to the sound. If you cherish keyboards bombast, the precision of Swiss clockworks and robots that think they are human beings, you will love the production. But I do not like this objectively flawless mix. It is warm, full and smooth, but without depth or individuality. Additionally, it conveys rather a theatrical mood than a m***lic approach. So one of my last still working brain cells sends permanently the confusing signal: something is wrong here. Why did you buy a heavy pop album? I beg your pardon, brain cell, I am too old to remember.

Due to the absence of riffs, we have to put the focus on the melody lines. They commute between monotonous and great. Yes, the flickering melody of 'Slavocracy' and its slightly menacing mood make this song to the highlight of the album. Apart from this track, the comparatively powerful 'Valkyries' Last Dance' cuts a swath through the jungle of mid-tempo monotony. Nevertheless, I cannot forget the thought that Samael prove their ability to waste their potential in a very dubious manner. The seemingly endless stream of similarly constructed songs leaves me more or less cold, even though the majority of the songs are acceptable. "Acceptable" - what a shameful word in connection with Samael!

Even when it comes to pretty good (pop) harmonies ('Quasar Waves' is based on a charming, oriental tone sequence), "Solar Soul" remains ironically quite soulless. Overall, I see no possibility to join the ranks of those highly respected reviewers who have given this work an amazing high score. My sad conclusion is: competent musicians have recorded an album full of electronic gimmicks and monotonous, not very charismatic vocals whose totality is less than the sum of its parts. Evaluating each piece individually would perhaps result in a higher rating than indicated above. But on the long haul, it's just tiring and a bit limp.

Rating: 6.3 out of 10