Out of all the American old school heavy metal bands that popped up over the last decade or so, Sölicitör is probably the one that appeals to me most. This is at least in part due to the fact that they don’t quite present themselves as a period piece as much as many of their peers do. While their blend of traditional heavy metal and vaguely Motörhead-inspired speed metal has a distinct eighties vibe, there is room for other metal styles in their music. Sölicitör’s sophomore album ‘Enemy in Mirrors’ expands upon that philosophy, which does wonders for its dynamics.

Compared to Sölicitör’s fantastic 2020 debut album ‘Spectral Devastation’, ‘Enemy in Mirrors’ sounds notably more melodic and dramatic. Where the former was mainly built upon aggressive, borderline thrash metal riffs, ‘Enemy in Mirrors’ covers a lot more ground. The subtle hints of extreme metal that crept into some of their earlier songs are still here, but the fact that there is a lot more room for guitar melodies and harmonies is more immediately noticeable. And while much of ‘Enemy in Mirrors’ still sounds like the band playing together, Matt Vogan’s sparse, but creative keyboard work proves that that wasn’t necessarily the prime focus.

The increased melodicism also brings out more sides to Amy Lee Carlson’s voice. Carlson is one of the band’s strongest assets to begin with, but her performance on ‘Enemy in Mirrors’ might just silence those who keep comparing her to Leather Leone. It’s a comparison I never felt was completely accurate, and it’s probably mostly based on both of them being female. Sure, they both have a fair amount of grit to their voices, but Carlson has a far more theatrical delivery, which reminds me more of someone like Harry Conklin, and she gets a lot more room to play with that on ‘Enemy in Mirrors’.

‘Fallen Angel’ and ‘Crimson Battle Beast’ are likely the songs that are closest in sound to ‘Spectral Devastation’, and they are great. The title track has a similar feel, but goes through a larger number of changes, and had some killer riffs. ‘Spellbound Mist’ is one of my favorites; I love how the semi-thrashy riffs and the melodic elements appear to be battling for space, yet never get in each other’s way. The closing ‘Black Magick & Devil’s Hand’ diptych is excellent as well. Vogan and Patrick Fry’s guitar harmonies are fairly unique, and the songs just keep building toward new climaxes without being too ham-fisted about it.

Ultimately, what I think sets Sölicitör apart for me is that they are old school, but not a throwback act. Their sound consists of familiar elements, but they don’t model themselves after a particular band or scene. This was true to a certain extent for ‘Spectral Devastation’, but ‘Enemy in Mirrors’ really goes all-in. It shows a band not afraid to experiment, and able to do so in a way that doesn’t alienate the fanbase they have already built up. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but Sölicitör has done it on ‘Enemy in Mirrors’, and the results are fantastic.

Recommended tracks: ‘Spellbound Mist’, ‘Black Magick & Devil’s Hand Pt I’, ‘Enemy in Mirrors’