Occasionally the singer fails to really lock into a note and that is even harder to overlook, although as the voice is not always present you can perhaps agree to forgive. In a different musical setting I'm sure this would be strikingly beautiful, but here it simply gives you no confidence in the band's power. Soon after, the singing starts, and you discover that Solstice have foregone the use of a traditional operatic singer, opting instead for a crystal clear folk voice, one that rolls its Rs in a most exaggerated, elfy manner. Guitars soon wail like bagpipes in the background, and a sullen voice narrates a short passage after which a pleasing melody is played on dual guitars - the bass isn't there to root the sound which gives this part a pleasing medieval feel, but disappointingly they then repeat those bars with bass in tow, dispelling the magic. Things begin encouragingly bells toll in time with the sound of the tides.

One must assume that miscommunication is the primary reason for this mediocre album's existence. Together, however, they squander their promise. Included among Solstice's ranks have been prominent members and ex-members of other notorious bands - Dragonforce, Cradle of Filth, While Heaven Wept and the mighty My Dying Bride have all shared their talent. Solstice hail from England, native home of doom, and so they stand upon the shoulders of titans. I think it might be time to slaughter a sacred cow!

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