Review: German Post-hardcore Band Venues Explodes with Solace Album

Some may not believe in fate but sometimes being in the right place at the right time can have a huge impact on peoples lives. This was the case with the German post-hardcore band, Venues. The band was without a clean vocalist when fate struck. The band’s guitarist, Constantin, was attending a Steel Panther concert when he witnessed a performance by female vocalist Lela. The two met after the show and exchanged numbers. Blown away be her performance, the band offered her the vocalist role. “I only meant to give him my number for him to send me the video (of my performance) says Lela. “Pretty mental” she jokes.

Front man Robin has been pleased with the results. “Already halfway into our very first rehearsal together we all instantly clicked.” He breathes a sigh of relief. “To us, Lela truly is an upgrade.” He continues: “And it is only our current line-up that makes me feel that right now, everything fits just perfectly. We’re all burning for the same thing, we want the same, think the same. It took a while, but it was all worth it.”

The addition of Lela and new guitarist Valentin have paid off. Venues’ latest album Solace pushes the band in a slightly new direction. Whereas the band’s last album, Aspire, was a little soft at times, Solace is more aggressive from start to finish. “We wanted to be more metal,” Robin summarizes with a grin. “There were some pop sensibilities of Aspire we wanted to replace with rather the opposite.”

Like the rest of the world, the last year was difficult for the band. “2020 showed all of us how much the band is helping us keep our sanity,” Robin muses. “Almost the whole band went through minor or medium crises since the release of our debut. Relationships went sour, things were ended and begun. In times like these, our second album was the light at the end of the tunnel. Something we all could look forward to. Our music held our heads above water.”

Heavier music never appealed to me until recently. Over that last couple of years I have begun to develop a greater appreciation for genres like post-hardcore, melodic metal, metalcore, etc.. It is still difficult at times for me to listen to these albums from start to finish, but Solace is one of the exceptions. Lela and Robin’s contrasting vocals managed to maintain my attention throughout the album. Lela’s vocals combine the soul and power of Taylor Momsen from The Pretty Reckless with the ability to enchant like Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia.

The are no tracks to skip past on Solace. Coming in at 40 minutes, the album races along making you wonder where the time went. “Rite of Passage”, “Deceptive Faces”, and “Uncaged Birds” are the strongest songs on the album. Brutal vocals by Robin, soaring choruses by Lela, thrashing drums by Dennis, and rhythmic guitars by Constantin and Valentin prevail throughout.

If a listener like me who is not an avid post-hardcore fan can enjoy Solace, then it should certainly appeal to real fans of the genre. Robin proclaims that Lela is an upgrade at clean vocalist and I absolutely agree. She is now one of my favorite singers. Solace is one of the best albums I have reviewed during 2021 and it is certain to make my top 5 list for the year. It is out now and available on all digital streaming platforms.

Solace Track Listing:
Razorblade Teeth
Whydah Gally
Rite of Passage
Uncaged Birds
Into the Fire
Down Below
Shifting Colors
Our Destiny
Deceptive Faces
Mountains