Solipsist (album)

Last updated
Solipsist
This is the album artwork for Metal band The Zenith Passage's debut LP "Solipsist".jpg
Studio album by
The Zenith Passage
ReleasedApril 15, 2016 (2016-04-15)
StudioCastle Ultimate Productions, Keene Machine Studios
Genre Technical death metal
Length39:33
Label Unique Leader
Producer Zack Ohren, Justin McKinney, Michael Keene
The Zenith Passage chronology
Cosmic Dissonance
(2013)		Solipsist
(2016)
Singles from Solipsist
  1. "Holographic Principle II: Convergence"
    Released: June 1, 2017 (2017-06-01)
  2. "Deus Deceptor"
    Released: March 16, 2016 (2016-03-16)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Metal Injection6.5/10 [1]

Solipsist is the debut studio album by Southern California technical death metal band The Zenith Passage. It was released via Unique Leader Records on April 15, 2016. It is the band's first release for Unique Leader Records, with whom they signed in 2013. [2] The album focuses on the concept of solipsism. The album features a guest vocal appearance by Fallujah's Alex Hofmann, and guitar solo by Wes Hauch (ex-The Faceless). The cover art was done by Ken Sarafin, who had also worked with Skinless, The Kennedy Veil, and Archspire. [3] [4] Per figures provided by Metal news site MetalInsider, the album sold 720 units in its first week. [5]

Contents

A lyric videos was released for the song "Holographic Principle II: Convergence" on January 20, 2016. [6]

On March 14, 2016 the band debuted a lyric video for the song "Deus Deceptor" through MetalSucks. [7]

The band made the album available for streaming in full on April 13, 2016. [8] [9]

The band released a music video for the song "Deus Deceptor" on June 15, 2017. [10]

In a 2018 interview with Casting Metal Podcast, McKinney noted, to some controversy, that Keene's role in the production of the album was extremely limited. According to McKinney, Keene, after collecting money from the band, made no progress on the production on the album for "seven or eight months". As a result, Unique Leader made the band find a new producer for the record, thus the band went with Ohern, who tracked the entire album (with the exception of some vocals tracked by Keene) in a week. [11]

Release and reception

Metal Injection reviewer Nate gave the album a 6.5 / 10 score. He referred to the album as a "technical death metal gem", but lambasted it for its similarities to The Faceless' Planetary Duality , referring to the album as "Planetary Duality 2". A professed fan of the band's debut EP Cosmic Dissonance, the reviewer noted that if every song were as original as "Deus Deceptor", the album would be "unforgettable", but finalized his review by calling the album a "doppelgänger of a 2008 album". [12]

Heavy Metal blog "Angry Metal Guy" gave the album a 3.0 / 5.0. He praised the production quality of the record, but drew immediate parallels between the sound of Solipsist and that of The Faceless' first two albums, going so far as to call the band a "copycat act". He noted that the album would likely sound "more like The Faceless than "The Faceless" if the (then) upcoming The Faceless LP In Becoming a Ghost continued down the path of Autotheism , diverging from The Faceless' original sound. [13]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Holographic Principle I: Emergence"1:07
2."Holographic Principle II: Convergence"3:47
3."Simulated Reality"3:48
4."Deus Deceptor"4:33
5."The Dissension Consensus"4:59
6."Dreamsphere"3:48
7."Hypnagogia"4:07
8."Metaphysical Solipsism"3:01
9."The Tenebrous Veil"4:45
10."Luminary Singularity"5:19
Total length:39:33

Personnel

The Zenith Passage

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Make Them Suffer</span> Australian metalcore band

Make Them Suffer is an Australian metalcore band from Perth, formed in 2008. They are currently signed to SharpTone Records. Their debut studio album, Neverbloom, peaked at No. 56 on the ARIA Album charts in June 2012, and showcased the band's earlier mix of metalcore, blackened death metal, and symphonic metal. Its follow-up Old Souls debuted at No. 30 upon release in May 2015 and displayed the band beginning to transition from death/black metal to a more progressive metalcore sound. After the band signed with Rise Records, the label released an expanded version of Old Souls in August 2016, containing also an EP from their death metal era Lord of Woe and a new track, "Ether". Despite the name, the band is not named after the Cannibal Corpse song of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NonExist</span> Swedish heavy metal band

Nonexist is a Swedish melodic death/thrash metal group formed by former Arch Enemy vocalist, Johan Liiva. Liiva, guitarist/bassist Johan Reinholdz and drummer Matte Modin. They began playing together as Nonexist in 2000. In May 2002, they released their debut album, Deus Deceptor, on New Hawen Records in Europe and Century Media in North America. The group attempted to put together a touring lineup in 2002, but this never occurred, in part due to the group members' commitment to other projects. In 2003 Liiva and Modin split from the group, leaving Reinholdz the primary member. In 2004 Liiva confirmed the group's demise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Faceless</span> American technical death metal band

The Faceless are an American technical death metal band from the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles. They released their debut album, Akeldama, in November 2006, and a follow-up, Planetary Duality, in November 2008. The band's third album, Autotheism, was released on August 14, 2012. On December 1, 2017, the band released their fourth album, In Becoming a Ghost.

<i>Id</i> (Veil of Maya album) 2010 studio album by Veil of Maya

Id is the third studio album by American metalcore band Veil of Maya. It was released through Sumerian Records on April 6, 2010. They worked with producer Michael Keene of death metal band The Faceless on this album. Keene previously worked with the band, producing their previous album The Common Man's Collapse. It is the band's only album to feature bassist Matthew C. Pantelis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Safety Fire</span> British metal band

The Safety Fire were a British progressive metal band formed in London in 2006. The Safety Fire first made a name for themselves in the UK scene with the release of their critically acclaimed EP "Sections" in 2009 and their reputation as a powerfully energetic live band. They toured extensively across the UK with bands such as Malefice, The Arusha Accord, Bleed From Within, and Rise to Remain, as well as progressive metal bands Periphery and Monuments throughout Europe. The Safety Fire also appeared at Sonisphere Festival UK in 2011 alongside Metallica, Slipknot, Mastodon, and The Mars Volta.

<i>Akeldama</i> (album) 2006 studio album by The Faceless

Akeldama is the debut studio album by technical death metal band The Faceless. It was released on November 14, 2006 as the first release from Sumerian Records. The title of the album is Aramaic for "Field of Blood". It was produced by Michael Keene.

<i>Autotheism</i> (album) 2012 studio album by The Faceless

Autotheism is the third studio album by American technical death metal band The Faceless. It was released on August 14, 2012, through Sumerian Records. The album debuted at number 50 on the Billboard 200, number 3 on the Top Hard Rock Albums, number 13 on the Top Independent albums, number 18 on Top Rock albums, and hit number 1 on the CMJ radio loud rock chart. This is the band's only album to feature vocalist Geoffrey Ficco, rhythm guitarist Wes Hauch, and bassist Evan Brewer.

<i>Elite</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Within the Ruins

Elite is the third studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. The album sold 3,750 copies in its first week and saw Within the Ruins' first appearance on the Billboard 200, peaking at the 133 spot. It is their first release for eOne Music and Good Fight Music following their departure from Victory Records in 2012. It is also their first release featuring only one guitarist, following the departure of Jay Van Schelt in 2012. The track list for the album was revealed on February 14, 2013.

Rivers of Nihil is an American technical death metal band from Reading, Pennsylvania. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. To date the band has released two EPs and four studio albums. Their most recent release is 2021's The Work. Their 2018 album Where Owls Know My Name debuted at number 61 on the Billboard 200, selling 2,750 copies in its first week.

<i>In Becoming a Ghost</i> 2017 studio album by The Faceless

In Becoming a Ghost is the fourth studio album by The Faceless. It was released on December 1, 2017 through Sumerian Records. It is the only album with Abigail Williams' Ken Sorceron on vocals, The Zenith Passage's Justin McKinney on guitar and Chason Westmoreland, formerly of Hate Eternal, session drumming. The album debuted at #66 on the Billboard Top Current Albums chart.

<i>The Holographic Principle</i> 2016 studio album by Epica

The Holographic Principle is the seventh studio album by Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, released on 30 September 2016. The album was produced by Joost van den Broek and mixed by Jacob Hansen. The release date along with the album's title and cover was revealed on Epica's website on 3 June 2016, the tracklisting was revealed on 17 June 2016.

<i>Halfway Human</i> (album) 2017 studio album by Within the Ruins

Halfway Human is the fifth studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. It was released on March 3, 2017. It is Within the Ruins' first studio album to feature bassist Paolo Galang, who joined in 2015. The album was praised by critics for the incorporation of new elements such as clean vocals on the part of Paolo and Tim Goergen in addition to screaming/death growls. It is the final album featuring long-time vocalist Tim Goergen, who would leave the band in February 2018 citing ongoing health issues. The album debuted at number 191 on the Billboard 200, selling 4,025 copies in its first week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entheos</span> American progressive metal band

Entheos is an American progressive metal super-group formed in 2015 by ex-members of Animosity, Animals as Leaders, and The Faceless. They released their debut EP Primal in March 2015 and their debut album The Infinite Nothing in April 2016. The band announced their return to the studio in March 2017 and released Dark Future in November of the same year.

"Take Me" is a single by American nu metal band Korn, from their studio album, The Serenity of Suffering. It peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in April 2017.

<i>Relentless Mutation</i> 2017 studio album by Archspire

Relentless Mutation is the third studio album by Canadian technical death metal band Archspire, released on September 22, 2017 through Season of Mist. It is the first album to feature bassist Jared Smith, who replaced bassist and vocalist Jaron Evil who departed in 2014. The album is a concept album revolving around a telepathic cult called "A.U.M.", and their experiments on human biology.

The Zenith Passage is an American technical death metal band from Los Angeles, California founded in 2012. They are currently signed to Metal Blade Records. To date they have released one EP, Cosmic Dissonance, and two LPs, Solipsist and Datalysium.

<i>The Sin and the Sentence</i> 2017 studio album by Trivium

The Sin and the Sentence is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Trivium. It was released on October 20, 2017, through Roadrunner Records and was produced by Josh Wilbur. The album is the first to feature fifth drummer Alex Bent, who replaced drummer Paul Wandtke. With the release of the album's title track, this album would also mark the return of frontman Matt Heafy's screaming vocals since the band's 2013 album Vengeance Falls, which were completely absent from the band's previous album Silence in the Snow due to an injury which caused Heafy to blow out his voice.

Ingested is an English death metal/deathcore band from Manchester, formed in 2006. The band consists of vocalist Jason Evans, guitarist Sean Hynes and drummer Lyn Jeffs. The band has released seven studio albums since formation, with the latest being “The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams” in 2024 via Metal Blade Records.

<i>Where Owls Know My Name</i> 2018 studio album by Rivers of Nihil

Where Owls Know My Name is the third studio album by American technical death metal band Rivers of Nihil. It was released on March 16, 2018 through Metal Blade Records, debuting at number 61 and selling 2,750 copies in its first week. It is the third album in the band's tetralogy based around the four seasons, representing autumn.

<i>The Conscious Seed of Light</i> 2013 studio album by Rivers of Nihil

The Conscious Seed of Light is the debut studio album by American technical death metal band Rivers of Nihil. The album was released on October 15, 2013 via Metal Blade Records. It is the first album in the band's tetralogy based around the four seasons; it represents spring.

References

  1. ↑ Driedger, Nate (April 19, 2016). "Quick Review: THE ZENITH PASSAGE Solipsist". metalinjection.net. Metal Injection. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
  2. ↑ "THE ZENITH PASSAGE Signs With UNIQUE LEADER RECORDS". Blabbermouth.net . 24 June 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  3. ↑ "Sarafin Concepts :: Ken Sarafin :: Visual Artist : Graphic Designer". www.sarafinconcepts.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "The Zenith Passage "Solipsist" CD – Unique Leader Records". www.indiemerch.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  5. ↑ "Metal By Numbers 4/27: Aces highMetal Insider". Metalinsider.net. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  6. ↑ "Exclusive: THE ZENITH PASSAGE Premiere Shredtastic Debut Single "Holographic Principle II: Convergence" – Metal Injection". Metal Injection. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  7. ↑ "Exclusive Track Premiere + Lyric Video: "Deus Deceptor" by The Zenith Passage – MetalSucks". Metalsucks.net. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  8. ↑ "THE ZENITH PASSAGE Shreds Profusely On Its Streaming Solipsist Record – Metal Injection". Metal Injection. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "The Zenith Passage Streams Full New Album". Metalunderground.com. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "THE ZENITH PASSAGE Summons The Matrix Looks In Its New Video". Metal Injection. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
  11. ↑ Monte Barnard, Clayton Benge (22 May 2018). "Episode 10 – Justin and Rob (The Zenith Passage)". www.nerdcollaborative.com (Podcast). Nerd Collaborative Universe. Retrieved 22 May 2018.
  12. ↑ "Quick Review: THE ZENITH PASSAGE Solipsist". www.metalinjection.com. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
  13. ↑ "The Zenith Passage – Solipsist Review". www.angrymetalguy.com. Retrieved 2018-05-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.