First Fragment Debut Neoclassical Tech-Death Ripper, “Solus”

Quebecois tech-death masters First Fragment have unveiled a new single, “Solus,” from their upcoming new album, Gloire Éternelle.

The track’s a ripper, no doubt. On one hand, it’s the perfect example of what people mean when they say “weedily-weedily tech-death,” notes flying all over the place in perfect sync with nearly nonstop double bass time-keeping. On the other, it’s a damn good example of how bands can write songs that are both fun and catchy within that format. And the neo-classical vibe is extra tight on this one. Well done, boys.

The band comments:

“Our 3rd single SOLUS is quite different from either of the singles we have released thus far. It also draws a lot of inspiration from the ’80s greats like Joey Tafolla, Cacophony, Elegy, Coroner, Apocrypha & of course Yngwie Malmsteen to further showcase a facet of our sound which we like to classify as ‘extreme neoclassical metal’ – a rare genre where the vocals and drumming are closer to extreme metal while the non-death metal string work remains much closer to neoclassical power metal. While the previous two singles focused on swing grooves or highly complex neoclassical counterpoint fused with death metal, this song is pretty much an homage to the band’s old school influences and contains less blastbeats than usual, giving more room for the dancing guitars and lead bass to express themselves. Enjoy and keep spreading the word!”

Give “Solus” a spin below. Gloire Éternelle comes out on October 29 via Unique Leader; pre-order here.