Solemnity Opus Barbaricum Review
Solemnity
Opus Barbaricum
Solemnity Music
2026
Here’s another German Heavy Metal band I hadn’t heard of until now. The band is called Solemnity, and from what I can tell, it’s a one-man project, but not one of those god-awful bedroom Black Metal acts. This is the brainchild of Sven the Axe, a musician drawing heavily from the well of Epic Power Metal, while supposedly keeping his lyrical themes rooted in Horror and fantasy. Personally, I’m not hearing much Horror here, or at least not my kind of Horror. The latest release is titled “Opus Barbaricum”.
According to the press release, Solemnity has been around since 1998 and has released several albums. I’d never heard of them or their music before, but that’s nothing new. What we’re dealing with here falls squarely into the Epic Power Metal camp. Unless you’re really digging into the lyrics, you probably won’t notice much of the supposed Horror angle. As a lifelong Horror hound, I didn’t find much of it especially spooky or Horror-driven, but that’s subjective. What I do hear is a musician delivering some genuinely strong vocal and instrumental performances, all captured with plenty of heart and conviction.
No matter how you slice it, the Power Metal influence is impossible to miss. Shades of HammerFall and Blind Guardian are all over this record. Thankfully, that’s not a bad thing. Overall, every track on this sprawling 75-minute album is well executed, with little reason to skip ahead, unless some of the more tongue-in-cheek lyrical moments rub you the wrong way. Tracks like “Meat Evil Steal (A Barbecue Symphony in B Minor)” and “Cheesecake” suggest there’s an inside joke I’m not fully in on.
For me, the strongest moments are the grand, sweeping songs, the tracks that feel like heroic ballads or triumphant calls to arms. Those are where Solemnity shines brightest. I still don’t quite see where the Horror themes fit in, but if that gets listeners through the door, so be it.
I will say this: the album is long. At 75 minutes, it could have benefited from being split into two separate releases. As it stands, it’s still a solid record, but it can feel like a lengthy sit, and your attention may start to drift by the end. Still, if you’re into Epic Power Metal with commanding vocals and plenty of bombast, this is worth your time.
Standouts: “Freya,” “Bitch With A Bow,” “Storm Of Steel,” and “The Dragon.”
~Black Angel