Aug. 22 is the release date here, but we’re talking about a record that came out 25 years ago, so I’m not sure how precise we need to be. Further (discussed here), counterintuitive to its title, was the first Solace full-length, released in 2000 — a quarter of a century ago. The good news is I saw Solace in January (review here) and they still bring it.

The celebration around this anniversary — and if you know this record, I don’t need to tell you it indeed is a thing to be celebrated; they have the remaster of opener “Man Dog” up now; check the bottom of the post — is made bittersweet in the context of the passing this January of original Solace vocalist Jason. He was long-enough out of the band by the time they put out The Brink (review here) in 2019, but remains a pivotal part of their legacy. Further neatly encapsulates that.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say here. Maybe I’ll get to stream it. I don’t know. It’s cool that this is on Magnetic Eye, though, as it was label manager Jadd Shickler‘s past imprint — MeteorCity — that had the original release.

From the PR wire:

SOLACE – Further 25th Anniversary Reissue

Preorder: http://lnk.spkr.media/solace-further

Bandcamp: https://diedrunk.bandcamp.com/album/further-2025-remaster

25 years, a quarter of a century, is a very long time in the life of any human being. And maybe even more so, in the lifespan of a recording of music. Yet “Further” by American stoner metal band SOLACE, first released at the turn of the millennium, has stood the test of time. Its tracks feel just as contemporary and relevant as in the year 2000.

A 25th anniversary is a great occasion for an enhanced, extended, and re-mastered edition of a timeless classic, but this much-deserved reissue was already decided upon when original SOLACE singer Jason L. sadly passed away in January 2025. This turns the new edition of “Further” into an unplanned but due tribute to his legacy and everything that Jason brought to the band during his formative years as their tortured and brilliant frontman.

SOLACE are celebrated veterans of the American metal scene. Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey at the windswept shore of the Western Atlantic, the band was founded in 1996. Built on a solid foundation of classic metal, early doom and punk ethic, the original four-piece infused a healthy dose of hardcore fury into grooving, grinding sludge.

Three years after the success of “Further” on both sides of the Atlantic, SOLACE returned with the sophomore album “13” (2003) that witnessed the Americans expanding and solidifying their style by highlighting the epic side of their songwriting. In the wake of this album, the band was invited twice to perform at the prestigious Roadburn Festival in 2006 and 2009, which further endeared them to an international audience.

Following a string of singles and EPs, the shoremen returned with the acclaimed third album “A.D.” in 2010. Although this release was again well received, a hiatus followed during which SOLACE implemented changes in their line-up. This maneuver got the heavy ship afloat again, and the remarkable full-length number four, “The Brink”, made landfall in 2019. This album has been described as a glorious trek through churning riffage, weighty doom power and drunken sea shanties, while the massive use of NWOBHM dual-guitar attack was also gladly noted.

SOLACE call their amalgamation of doom and heavy metal with hardcore elements dirt metal, while elsewhere it has been somewhat tongue-in-cheekily dubbed shorecore. Others file the New Jersey five-piece under stoner metal – and in truth, all these descriptions fit to an extent.

Raise a glass to Jason’s legacy and enjoy his outstanding performance on SOLACE’s debut album “Further” that has been diligently and respectfully remastered to shine brighter than ever before!

Band: Solace
Album title: Further
Style: Stoner Metal
Re-release date: August 22, 2025
Label: Magnetic Eye Records

Tracklist
1. Man Dog (2025 Remaster)
2. Black Unholy Ground (2025 Remaster)
3. Followed (2025 Remaster)
4. Whistle Pig (2025 Remaster)
5. Hungry Mother (2025 Remaster)
6. Angels Dreaming (2025 Remaster)
7. Suspicious Tower (2025 Remaster)
8. Heavy Birth/2-Fisted (2025 Remaster)
9. Another Life
10. We Bite
11. On the Hunt
12. Heavy Birth/2-Fisted (Distanced from Reality version)
13. Dirt
14. Funk #49 (Live in Tokyo ’98)

Recording line-up
Jason – voice, lyrics
Tommy Southard – guitars
Bill “Bixby” Belford – drums
Rob Hultz – bass

Produced by Eric Rachel and Solace
Recorded by Eric Rachel at Trax East, South River, NJ (US)
Mixed by Eric Rachel at Trax East, South River NJ (US)
Mastering by Alan Douches at West Westside Music, Hudson Valley, NY (US)

Cover painting: “Midnight Mass 2” by Wes Benscoter
Original layout by Frank Bridges
2025 layout by Łukasz Jaszak

Shop
http://lnk.spkr.media/solace-further

Solace Current lineup
Justin Daniels – guitar
Justin Goins – keyboard, vocals
Tim Schoenleber – drums
Mike Sica – bass
Tommy Southard – guitar

https://solace-merch.printify.me/products
https://diedrunk.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SolaceBand/

http://store.merhq.com
http://magneticeyerecords.com/
https://www.instagram.com/magneticeyerecords/
https://www.facebook.com/MagneticEyeRecords

Solace, Further (2025 Remaster) (2000)

Solace, The Brink (2019)

Tags: Further, Long Branch, Magnetic Eye Records, New Jersey, Solace, Solace Further

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 at 11:00 am and is filed under Whathaveyou. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.