Artist: Solomonar
Country: Czechia
Label: Self-Released
Formats: Digital Demo
Year: 2026
Although there are certainly plenty of conventional Black Metal bands from the Czech Republic and the surrounding region that stick almost entirely to the script, I never cease to be amazed by the overwhelming creativity that some bands from those parts bring to the table. In fact, it’s a tradition that goes back decades. In my relatively recent review of Sataras Belzebulba’s debut demo, which not entirely coincidentally features part of the same lineup as this Solomonar, I already mentioned the amazing old Czech scene with bands like Törr, Master’s Hammer, and Root, all three of which seemed to transport Extreme Metal to a completely different universe than any other bands active at the time. That exotic-sounding atmosphere continued to manifest itself in the most extraordinary bands in the years that followed.
That creativity trickled through all eras of metal, whether “extreme” or not. This gave rise to bands like Forgotten Silence, Cult Of Fire, and Malokarpatan; although the latter hails from Slovakia, they are all linked by a common thread of defiance and individuality. I felt a bit of the same vibe when listening to Sataras Belzebulba, not only in their unconventional way of song writing, but also in their appearance they seem to hark back to the days of Master’s Hammer. You can either call it quirkiness or just a pure form of expression, whatever fits you most, probably guided by what you’re used to.
Solomonar is basically the whole of Sataras Belzebulba joined by another lead guitarist. But this time around, these maverick guys are taking a different approach and diving into something that’s pretty close to the aforementioned foundation laid by Törr, Root, and Master’s Hammer. Their brand of Black/Thrash Metal has not much to do with the genre’s traditionalism of Desaster, Nifelheim or Aura Noir. Instead, they’re adding a lot of Heavy Metal and a more specifically, a plethora of awkward riffs and melodies. The rhythm section is clearly not your everyday affair either; the frequent tempo changes and some unconventional rolls and fills round out the whole thing without coming across as too contrived or too twitchy. As a result, it is a little hard to come up with a fitting musical comparison, but perhaps a band like Sexmag, that’s also combining Black Metal, Speed Metal and Thrash Metal in a very original way, comes closest.
When the music doesn’t stick with you right away, but all the above peaks your interest, it is recommended to listen to it a couple of times (come on, its only twelve minutes anyway). I am pretty sure you will be hooked and admit it was a rewarding listen. Solomonar is yet another example of these young guys’ undeniable talent for doing things different.
