SolAce

Formed in New Jersey during 1996, the metal outfit Solace began when bassist Rob Hultz and guitarist Tommy Southard decided to join forces. Both musicians already carried experience from earlier projects, having played together in Cathedral as well as in the thrash-metal band Godspeed. That group managed just a single release, the album Ride, before folding, yet the pair refused to step away from music.

Once Solace took shape, the duo brought in vocalist Jason and enlisted drummer Kieth Ackerman to complete the lineup. Additional percussionists later passed through the ranks, including Matt Gunvordahl and Bill “Bixby” Belford. The band’s sound, built on weighty riffs and nonstop guitar leads, drew frequent comparisons to Black Sabbath.

Solace issued its debut single, “Bright Side,” through Taste Records in 1997. After moving to Meteor City Records, the group collaborated with post-grunge metal act Solarized on the split EP Jersey Devils. Working independently, Solace next unveiled the EP Distanced From Reality before committing its first full-length effort, Further, to tape in 2000. That record showcased brooding doom numbers such as “Black Unholy Ground,” “Man Dog,” and “Hungry Mother.”