“I WOULD URGE ALL FOLK TO LOOK DEEPLY INTO THEIR OWN HEARTS AND ASK THEMSELVES WILL THEY REALLY BE HAPPY GOING TO THEIR GRAVES KNOWING THEY DID NOTHING WHEN THEY COULD HAVE TAKEN A STAND” – RICH WALKER (SOLSTICE)
Unbloodied, unbowed and unjabbed, iconic indigenous English Epic Metal cult Solstice emerged unscathed through tumultuous times of tyrannical tribulation, flame rekindled, the unquenchable spirit of olde replenished by a perhaps preordained suffusion of fresh blood. Pureblood. With the stars that guided our ancestors realigned and a new dawn breaking, uncompromising founding visionary Rich Walker and inspirational new recruit Dan Capp detail how the emboldened brotherhood of Solstice single-mindedly navigated an inhospitable storm of societal psyops, pseudoscience, psychosis and near-universal surrender to plant anew the invigorating flag of resistance.
How re-energised and heartened are you by the new Solstice line-up? You have surrounded yourself not just with excellent musicians but also no-nonsense characters of real integrity. Before you welcome somebody into the Solstice fold during these times of almost universal surrender, how non-negotiable is it that they not only share your musical vision but also that they are honourable men who won’t cower before authority? It’s not easy to find a real man these days, never mind one who can play a guitar…
Rich: It’s pretty hard to explain, but due to the circumstances I found myself in I wouldn’t have made it to this point without the support of my German family, Hermann & Anike, Helge and Hendrik, of my bandmates new and old, Daryl and Lennaert, and especially since I returned to England the support of Dan and his family. In turn that led to a strong bond, and something that gave me an inkling of hope that we could start afresh with a clean slate, and didn’t need to be part of ‘the agenda’ or subject to morally objectionable whims that change every five minutes just to have ‘the right’ to express ourselves musically. I also can’t not mention Felipe (Procession / Destroyer 666) and Rob (Tau Cross), who both also saw through the lie and whom I was in touch with regularly and trading information, and offered moral support.
“As for sharing musical vision, yes I think that is important, and everyone is committed to making again another album of and beyond, of indigenous English Epic Metal; of course it’s early days yet and we’re just beginning to find our rhythm and how we sound with the different and subtle nuances in playing style, and what we can and can’t do successfully as a band. But having that said, the renditions of older material sound natural and absolutely thunderous which is in no small part due to Mark’s prowess behind the drum kit and a sense of wanting to push back against all the fakes who pose with comical fantasy swords and sing songs about defeating evil, yet when a real battle came, they cowered like whipped dogs.
“Ideologically, absolutely non-negotiable in the current climate of totalitarianism; for a start the last line-up were all flat out refusing to be experimented upon by Big Pharma and their corrupt puppets in Government. And to clarify even further, not a single member of the band in its current incarnation took the incredibly dangerous fake vaccines that were sold to the entire world population as a medical intervention during the scamdemic. We all lost friends from our stance, but you know, a few years later we have been proven right and can walk tall without ever having uttered such ludicrous maxims as ‘stay safe’, ‘trust the science’ and ‘please strip me of dignity and fuck me hard in the aerse’. As you say it’s not easy to find a real man, but there are legions willing to toe the line and do a tyrant’s bidding with zeal.
“There is one other factor you didn’t touch upon, and that’s the sense of camaraderie that we have; it’s very uplifting and rehearsals are good-natured, light-hearted and without anyone turning up with a hangover, looking at Facebook on their smart phones, hoping for another fix of narcotics from mate ‘X’ of band ‘X’ (Insert whichever band you feel fits best here) or with ulterior motives such as furthering a non-existent career, or looking for a free foreign holiday in order to drink themselves senseless.”
Dan: “Solstice has been one of my favourite bands for most of my adult life, but if Rich and co had been wet lettuces during Convid, or worse still, spokesmen for tyranny, then I’d have never considered joining the band. Frankly, as of March 2020 onwards, I was and am only interested in being a member of bands with balls and a stubborn refusal to kowtow to obvious nonsense – and Solstice is one of the few. That decision has cost me in other ways, and will probably continue to cost me (and Solstice), but that’s the price of being a man in 2023.
“The new line-up is still quite fresh, but we have a good camaraderie already. I’d say we’re fast becoming good friends, and Rich and I have forged a bond over the last few years. It’s also been a great opportunity to again play music with my younger brother Mark, who is fairly like-minded and ready to prove his percussive talents.”
A question for Dan: how honoured and humbled were you to be invited to join the ranks of such an iconic and pioneering cult? How influential a band has Solstice been on your own musical and spiritual journey and how much do you relish the (perhaps daunting?) prospect of sharing a stage and studio with these great men?
Rich: “I’ll preempt Dan, and before he answers (sorry Dan), it’s actually me who is humbled and honoured to work with him. One only has to listen to his work with Wolcensmen, and his contributions to Winterfylleth, to recognise his capacity for creativity. And already in rehearsal I’m confident that we’ll do everything justice as a band, that’s five individual people not just one person out to promote themselves. OK, that’s going off on a tangent slightly but I feel pretty strongly about everything.
“Everyone in this line-up has brought something to the table, now I cannot say that about any other of the prior line-ups, there was always someone with either ulterior motives, alcohol or narcotic issues, or just plain suffering from delusions that this was a meal ticket rather than a Heavy Metal band. Parting with such people was a blessing; but it’s worth mentioning that old guitarist Andy was instrumental in firing or pushing everyone out. There’ll be none of that anymore, no ‘seniority’ or pecking order, just five musicians trying to work our way around obstacles we might encounter. I don’t want to deal with the ‘it’s him or me’ mentality ever again. I don’t want to play with substance abusers either.”
Dan: “As I mentioned, Solstice has been a favourite band of mine for many years. I was introduced to Solstice by my old Winterfylleth bandmate Nick Wallwork (years before I joined that band), who took it upon himself to help me connect with Doom Metal after I’d expressed frustration over my experiences thus far. I’ve since become more acquainted with the genre but ‘New Dark Age’ remains my favourite album of it. To this day I feel like it was tailor-made to my tastes – that blend of heaviness, mystery, folk, poetry and undeniable Englishness. There’s still nothing like it.
“Years ago when Rich and I made first contact, I asked him if he’d mind me recording an acoustic rendition of ‘Cimmerian Codex’ under the guise of Wolcensmen. He gave me his blessing but I never got around to it, so it feels like the Wyrd Sisters intervened and now I get to perform it in its full glory. Needless to say, Solstice has been a big musical influence on Wolcensmen, and I take seriously the duty of keeping the flame alive.”
Five years have passed since the release of your third full-length LP, but it almost feels like a century, such has been the scale and magnitude of the seismic shifts and rifts that have been inflicted upon society in the meantime. As the world patiently awaits the follow-up to ‘White Horse Hill’, how are the new spells coming along and realistically when might we expect to hear some new recorded output? How do the new songs fit into the band’s distinguished discography and are you at liberty to disclose any tentative song titles or lyrical topics being explored on this impending new material?
Rich: “Yes, I must concur, it does feel like a century. From my perspective you have to take a step back and reflect on everything that happened since its release, and going from ‘being toast of the town’ to being cancelled and blacklisted by a corrupt and highly vocal digital minority; again for standing up against what we felt to be wrong. There were other issues, I was going through a particularly traumatic time that resulted in me getting displaced to Germany for two years and dealing with everything the best I could under extremely difficult circumstances.
“In truth, if it wasn’t again for Dan’s enthusiasm I might have thrown in the towel and taken stock of everything, and stayed in Germany, as I was granted residential status for ten years which would have given me more than enough time to build a new life and get my full citizenship; but, I missed my home country, my fellow Englishmen and Women, and playing in a band, and Germany is no longer a free democracy but a curious amalgamation of fanaticism and fascism where a ruling elite punish ‘wrong think’ by prison sentences. Not actual physical offences, but ‘thinking the wrong thoughts’ and voicing an opinion that opposes the WEF agenda.
“So, to go back on topic, if the world (or rather, the majority of people who haven’t actually cancelled us, which has sorely upset that pathetic squeaking minority whose sole pleasure is dictating to the digital void) are patiently waiting then so be it. Crafting new material has always taken on average four to six months a song, purely because I remain a perfectionist and suffer from a compulsive OCD that makes me want to try out as many possibilities as possible rather than throwing shit at the wall and seeing what will stick. I’m also back on lyrical duties, with editing and suggestions from Dan, which is certainly a relief I’m sure for those who hated Kearns’ contributions. The other factor to take into account is that we only rehearse once a month as a band, but we have begun convening for writing sessions in other free time. There are numerous ideas and motifs running through what we have so far and I’d like to think that they lie somewhere between ‘WHH’ and ‘NDA’; certainly the overall aim is to land there and add something distinct again. Of course, some people might not make the connection, after all: how many of them took stock and reflected upon the corpses lying in fields at the bottom of the ‘WHH’ artwork and what it all meant? Perhaps this time around we’ll be more ‘blatant’ with the ‘message’. Time will tell…
“I think at this point Dan should give his thoughts on what we’ve achieved so far rehearsing and, as he’s seen and got the new lyrics, give a few thoughts about them and the first of the new songs we’re crafting as a band…”
Dan: “It really does feel like we’ve entered into a new pace of time post- Covidius Minimus, and I feel that the best way we can deal with it is to not worry too much about the velocity with which calendrical dates pass. That frantic desperation to stick to some kind of schedule has afflicted me at times, but I’m learning to let go. The old opportunities available to bands and musicians have faded, and I don’t think the magic can be reclaimed by imposing urgency upon oneself.
“So, with that said, we are working on new compositions at a healthy pace. It’s been no small task for Rich to settle back in England, and for the new line-up to master the old songs, but we’re now at the point of having a good foundation from which to build and I’m confident the new music will flow more and more freely from hereon. I don’t want to give away too much about the new songs, but I will say that the British and Irish Folk influence is looking to be more prominent than ever. Mind you, these will still be firm Metal anthems. Lyrically I think Rich’s words are looking to be more glaring and timely than ever, without losing their poetic nuance.”
To nurture the chemistry and alchemy between band members and best channel that harnessed energy, how important is it that you spend as much time as possible physically in each other’s company, be that rehearsing, jamming, talking or socialising? Ideally, would you prefer if there was more of this time? Are you ready to make your long-awaited return to the live arena and – assuming we plebs are allowed to continue mingling freely for the foreseeable future at least – when might that happen?
Rich: “It’s not so much as important as it is to get on as friends, and respect each other’s opinions; more importantly to work together as a band and try to bring out the best in each other. Not as a hive mind, but recognising our strengths and weaknesses.
“From my own perspective, I’d happily be in a rehearsal room once a week for six or seven hours with the rest of the band, but because of the physical distances between ourselves and all our work commitments, it’s currently an impossibility. I am considering moving closer to the others though once I finish college and if I can find somewhere quieter to relocate to with a garden and trees and where I can have dogs and a target range.
“As for socialising, well, initially after we started rehearsing in Dan’s barn at the early part of this year, we would all stay over and have a few drinks. I’ll say that I found it actually incredible to be with a full band where someone wasn’t hell bent on being a drunken idiot or speeding out of their minds, and the level of conversation despite occasionally scraping the bottom of the barrel when laughing at everyone’s ‘favourite’ eldritch horror, ‘The Shat’ and his ludicrous yammering online or his horrific countenance (like a hobgoblin in lipstick with a shitty nylon wig on last seen gathering dust on a shop dummy in a derelict 1970s boutique somewhere), right through to the tactics of the globalists, and more esoteric matters such as paranormal research and hidden history. Frankly, it was a revelation. I applaud my bandmates for their dedication to being atypical of average musicians.
“As for returning to the live front, we will possibly get three-four gigs under our belts in October. Are we excited? Of course, but I’m also wary having dealt with so much in the last years and especially how the blacklisting of the band due to our vocal opposition to the WEF/WHO agenda and the Scamdemic will affect who will book us; but again we won’t take the knee to these people. I was warned that it would ‘affect my career’ and told to ‘be quiet’ because I was being watched. I say this to the watchers: the blood of all those who died from the last three years is on your hands, and a reckoning is coming.”
Dan: “I think it’s safe to say we’re all of the more ‘old-school’ mindset whereby the ideal is to make and rehearse music as a physical band, not merely apparitions on Zoom and Pro Tools. So we’ve been making the effort, despite the geographical distances between us, to do that. Rich is right about the chemistry and good attitude so far, and in this ‘brave new world’ I personally welcome any opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with principled men, and to laugh heartily.
“That said, I also play in the Bavarian-based Black Metal band Gràb, and though we just performed our first live show and spent time together as a band, most of our work will be done remotely from one another. That can work. The modern age with its digital tech ain’t all bad (though I do tend towards the belief that it ultimately only solves problems of its own creation).
“We’re very keen to get onstage. For me personally it will mark a new challenge, but if you can’t embrace a good challenge these days then only madness and decrepitude await.”
Music is more than just an amalgam of sounds – on a deeper level, it is also part of a cultural (or counterculture) movement. Or at least it used to be… Going back to your younger years, when you first started to fall in love with music and its powerful message, who were the bands and individuals who grabbed your attention? And what was it about the music they were making, the lyrics they were penning and their outlook in general that inspired you to create and perform music yourself?
Rich: “Damn, the very first were The Sweet in 1973, and I still own a couple of their LPs – to me they were incredibly great at something like five-six years old, they looked fantastic and the songs were catchy as hell, it wasn’t until I heard their hard rock stuff that I surmised that they were more than a teeny pop glam band, it’s some of the heaviest and most ambitious rock music that falls outs the Sabbath/Purple/Rainbow sphere. “Curiously, the next – and this really was pivotal – were the Sex Pistols; probably 1977 and I was shaken by the ‘filth and fury’. I still would put that in my all-time top 10, proper gutter urchins making a noise that everyone ‘normal’ hated. Roll on a few years, and still into this punk rock thing and also Motorhead and Maiden alongside Discharge, The Exploited, GBH, Disorder, Chaos UK, Broken Bones, English Dogs and many more explode onto the scene and for me it’s 50% of the very foundation of what’s laughably called ‘extreme music’. I just loved the energy, the aggression, the message of fighting back against ‘the system’ and all their lapdogs.
“When it became really weird was the discovery of Venom, via probably Gabba of Chaos UK, and only a year later Metallica, Exodus and Slayer and so many more in that very first wave of Thrash that literally EVERYONE in the Metal scene hated because it was ‘tuneless garbage’ and sounded fuck all like 12 bar boogie. I have to point out here that Venom are the fathers of that other 50% of extreme music, and if you disagree you can go fuck a horse, no matter how much Bathory, Celtic Frost or Destruction, Slayer, Sodom and the like protest they were all influenced by what Venom were doing. Bathory and Frost both had the intelligence to take their music into new territories, whilst Slayer honed their style into short sharp shocks. Metallica on the other hand ripped off Diamond Head and Savage and sped it up, then lost the hunger and just did what they did. Never liked Megadeth, bought the first album when it came out then sold it two days later, I thought it was wimpy compared to Exodus and Possessed and Bathory, etc. Though I love the Metallica demos with Mustaine. Also, first Anthrax album; imagine my confusion on being into Anthrax of ‘Capitalism is Cannibalism’ EP fame, entering the record shop and seeing ‘Fistful of Metal’ in the racks.
“I think, of course, after that first wave of Thrash, a lot of cross pollination happened, you could say the most successful of which were English Dogs, Amebix and Sacrilege who ‘metalised’ incredibly successfully. I saw Onslaught when they were pure GBH clones and they were blinding, but they tried to follow Slayer and although I think ‘The Force’ is excellent, later recordings were nothing for me. I never liked the straight UK thrash bands, who didn’t have a HC punk background, they were technically inferior and sounded plodding compared to say the English Dogs on their ‘Forward into Battle’ opus. Also Antisect made better Venom clones than they did Discharge ones, live around ‘86 they were pounding; seeing them and Amebix on the same bill was as close to a religious experience as you might get in a tiny club with 150 other scumbags decked out in leather, studs and chains looking like extras from the set of a Mad Max film.
“And then, there was the embryonic Death Metal underground, Master, Genocide, Massacre, Devastation, Insanity, Dark Legion all accessed only via tape trading and writing letters to people across the world. I’ve not even touched on the thousands of bands we were hearing from across the globe, from countries we never expected to find people of a like mind without access to the internet. I think it was around 1985 when I discovered Manowar after their ‘Into Glory Ride’ album came out, and I fell in love with their sound as well, but got loads of grief from wankers in the punk scene for listening to them because they were ‘metal’, but it was okay to like, for example, Celtic Frost
“Of course, there are other pivotal moments, like discovering Doom Metal with Candlemass, Dream Death and Revelation, digging further into the NWOBHM courtesy of Russ Smith from 1992 onwards and discovering bands like Hell, Virtue, Reincarnate, Apocalypse, Scarab or Trespass, and hearing more obscure worldwide Metal records courtesy of Sascha Glaeser of Yeah Records in Germany. One thing that never really appealed to me was ‘90s Death Metal, though I like a few of the bands it just seemed boring after the aggression of say Master and Genocide, I still have very little time for it.
“Okay, I’ll say really the pivotal bands for me, honestly have to be Black Sabbath, Venom, Motorhead, and Iron Maiden from the UK metal scene, Discharge and the Sex Pistols from the UK punk scene, perhaps throw in Disorder, Chaos UK, GBH, English Dogs and Amebix as well. On the other hand, Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span, Spriguns and Trees from the UK. And US metal? Manowar, Brocas Hełm and Manilla Road. Thrash, without doubt Bathory and Celtic Frost. Apologies, that was a load of rambling bollocks; after nearly five decades I seem to have been touched by some kind of OCD when it comes to music. I still despise posers, though, that’s the main thing…chortle. I’ve not even mentioned Hawkwind, either, or the “modern” Black Metal explosion of the early 90’s.
“Or my hatred of ‘trends’ in Metal… okay, I’ll get my coat.”
Dan: “I’m younger than Rich so I imagine my answer will contrast somewhat with his. The first band my father introduced me to as a kid in the late ‘80s was Queen, but I can’t say it was a band whose lyrics or message (if they had one) I connected with. The Misfits were one of my first chosen infatuations and their image was hugely appealing to the unusual young man that I was, and I’d definitely name Glenn Danzig’s canon of work as a big influence. For me it was always music that moved me in some way that mattered; Whether the musty storytelling of Bathory’s ‘Blood on Ice’, the dark tsunami of Burzum’s ‘Hvis lyset tar oss’, the English pride of Forefather, the expressiveness of Ronnie James Dio, the twilight hymns of Ulver’s early work, or the familiar authenticity of Steeleye Span. Atmosphere, emotion and sincerity are what grab me; imperfect audio production or performance mistakes don’t matter and, in fact, I believe those things will become invaluable in the post-AI age.”
Metal and punk (and even rock) bands of the ‘seventies and ‘eighties unapologetically adopted an authentic anti-establishment stance, which is sadly lacking in today’s sorry scene. Where the original outlaws of yesteryear fought the law, railed against the system and were more than happy to be cast out of mainstream society for their views, have we now gone full circle and arrived at a time and place where the majority of bands masquerading as underground or antisocial are in fact serving the system against which they claim to rebel? Have the fearless insurgents been replaced by conforming cowards?
Rich: “I think, honestly, that the view that most bands are rebels and believe in what they are doing is a lie or viewed through rose-tinted nostalgia spectacles that are bought on Amazon, or from spending one’s entire period of being awake reading the interwebs wondering how many people are talking about them on social media and their latest attempts to postulate upon all manner of things on their money-making podcasts or magazine columns. I know these individuals, they are neither tough, edgy nor outlaws, they just pretend to be as a veneer to cover their shallowness, cowardice and avarice.
“I call it Disney Metal, and plastic punk. Or posers. Gobshites is another word.
“The Metal scene in particular has become a cesspit of narcissistic attention-seeking morons claiming relevance after recycling an Omen riff, and waving a plastic sword about for five minutes on stage whilst gurning like a fornicating baboon. Sword and Saucery, as opposed to Sorcery. But still, there’s also the pseudo left intellectualism that’s validated by pasty-faced obese polybigamists with unsightly beards, because they like to promote fake vaccines and such sickening dismissals of what it means to be a woman by promoting … fake women. You couldn’t make this shit up. How horrendous it must be to live all your life as a woman fighting for women’s equality then have the rug pulled out from under you by some freak show performing a clown-like parody of what they think a woman is. It’s telling that these extremely damaged folks always spend all their time on the internet seeking approval and an audience
“So, when you start to welcome mentally-ill sex offenders into your ‘scene’ and advocate carrying on the ‘good work’ of Imperial Japan’s Unit 731 and the numerous Eugenics organisations who changed their name, gained Bill Gates and Klaus Schwab funding and are still working hard to fuck you all, when your idea of diversity is a race of genderless slaves who’s children are sexually abused by elites, when your idea of a GOOD idea is censorship, when you think AI will leave you more time to drink your costa coffee and play your x-box and put on those prosthetic elf ears and put on another album that sounds exactly like the album you bought last month, then that’s the wake-up call surely?
“If not, just look down, take the knee and hope no one notices you. Keep staring into the idiot lantern, taking the orders and most importantly, keep living that fantasy. Perhaps that Disney fairy will appear and make your dreams come true. Oh yeah … trust the science. Or some other soundbite, because it will help you overcome the illusory ‘climate boiling’ and become one of the imaginary 57 Heinz genders.
“Call me cynical, or whatever… (I prefer the term realist).
“That rant aside, I’m not a psychologist … yet. But, in the face of an enemy, nearly everyone who previously professed to be any kind of rebel buckled and collapsed and did as they were bade. Not out of any sense of altruism, but rather to save their own skins because they were scared, sealed in their homes, wringing their fucking hands and sweating wondering when they were going to die whilst watching clearly faked images of comically-toppling Chinamen in a corridor. They then wanted concentration camps, forced injections, ostracisation and refusal of medical treatments.
“I say this to them: I will not forget, I was out in the streets on anti-lockdown marches, I made my voice heard and fought back against the tyrants and your sat there and did nothing, you wanted to potentially murder my children, and you had a hand in the murder of millions. Take that to your grave, you cunts, and burn in your transhumanist hell. I’ll go to my grave a man; you’ll die weak and lonely puppets, or you’ll admit you were wrong and act with honour and join the pushback.”
Dan: “Sword and Saucery, indeed. Rich raises some interesting points of discussion there, such as: why are so many attracted to valour, the warrior arts, and even various expressions of tribalism when those things are neatly packaged in the form of entertainment, yet when the opportunity to live them for real arrives, such values are mocked or outright ravaged by the very same people. Films like Braveheart and 300 are universally heralded, yet the majority who appreciate them would in practice welcome their conqueror and castigate he who makes a stand.
“The same applies to the modern Metal and punk scenes. ‘Slaying the dragon’ probably means nothing more than ‘coping with one’s inner demons’ (which, don’t get me wrong, is an important struggle for many), while in 2020 this almighty bureaucratic monster bared its teeth and the leather-clad ‘warriors of the world’ pretended not to see it; too busy rolling up their sleeves. I keep saying it: sheep in wolves’ clothing, most of them.
“It fascinates me that adherents of the System can so easily convince themselves that they’re fighting it. It’s likely because the entire identity of the ‘Woke’ crowd necessitates the position of ‘underdog’. They can’t for a moment concede that they are the System because it would shatter their delusions. Whilst local and national government lines every city street with rainbow flags, hands entire hotels over to unproven refugees, and invites perverts to read stories to children, the advocates of such shenanigans still claim to be ‘fighting the System’. The only virus doing the rounds is of the psychological sort.”
Has England fallen? As Englanders, and deeply principled men who possess fierce pride in and passion for the unique culture, tradition and heritage of your ancestral homeland, how concerned are you by what looks like an orchestrated campaign to not just erode but eradicate these values? Is there any hope for a meaningful, game-changing resurgence of dissident / nationalist sentiment in England or are the globalists inevitably going to achieve their end goal of (incoming oxymoron alert…) multiculturalism in all western territories?
Rich: “I don’t think that the country has fallen yet, but I do believe what is happening is a very dangerous game being played by the globalists to manufacture a slave race of genderless supplicants reliant on the technocracy for everything ranging from food, medications (jabs and anti-depressants), right through to approved ‘opinions’. Anyone stepping outside these approved boundaries risks being digitally shamed, arrested, imprisoned, assets frozen and stolen and, worse, murdered.
“Of course, this heinous plot relies heavily on their ability to destroy everything that makes us unique. Our cultural differences and humanity are part of what they are trying to destroy and erase, the reason being that groups of people without a shared heritage or tradition are easy targets; they attack at the most basic level – man/woman, family, community and finally nationality. With these lost, there is no diversity, just a homogeneous herd ripe for exploitation. It must be said, this applies not only to the English, but to all peoples Europe-wide: German, Dutch, Irish, French, Swedish, Danish and further afield into the Slavic nations. Am I the only one who finds this gradual erasure of what makes the human race so wonderfully diverse disturbing? No, there are millions all over the globe fighting back I think from every walk of life who saw straight through the biggest lie since … the last one.
“Let me put it simply for the terminally retarded: ‘diversity’ does not mean throwing everything into a pot, mixing it up and coming out with an unrecognisable amorphous mass. I say, let’s keep our cultural diversity, and history, and have something that anyone outside our individual cultures and histories can look on and appreciate, and maybe learn something from, rather than another country full of faceless drones.
“Part of their gameplay is the fake binary of left/right, that you are supposed to adhere to a certain set of principles and politics if you identify with either; it’s only when you step outside that circle and take a good look without your preconceptions that you appreciate how they play on everyone’s fears, and prey on the gullible. The real power is faceless, and remains in the shadows pulling the strings and, between you and me, and whoever reads these without having a kneejerk reaction, I honestly feel that I’m getting closer every day to an explanation as to who is behind this, and why it suits their agenda.
“On a personal level, I want a future for my children, and the children of everyone who’s trying to make a difference, I’m too old for the ignorant and arrogant games of twenty-something kids who are out to change the face of Metal by introducing Stalinist (fascist) policies of every band having a quota of ‘ethnic minorities’ and shit stirring on the internet whilst they support the policies of war criminals. How utterly depressing that they simply have to go against nature to define themselves or feel of any worth. Either against the nature of underground music, or the nature of humanity. I see them as a blight, a corruption, and as usual the majority of them are the exact opposite of what it means to be ‘different’ or rebellious by trying to enforce their vacuous orthodoxies handed down by indoctrination.”
Dan: “Whilst I broadly echo Rich’s sense of anger at what’s being done, in answering the question ‘has England fallen?’, I’d have to offer a two-pronged response: England as a historical patch of land with a culturally and genetically homogeneous people is, in my opinion, gone. The majority act as soulless husks now, mindless of the damage done and seeking only the path of least resistance (and least dignity). But where just one battalion of Englishmen still stands, there England lives – upon whichever patch of land that may be.
“Karl Marx once complained that ‘England appears to be the rock on which the revolutionary waves split and disperse and which starves the coming society even in the womb’. He and his odious cohorts knew that the English would never accept an open proposal of Communism (anti-nature), and would defeat any attempt at violent conquest, so they conjured other, more devious means by which to enslave this land to their perverse ideology, and it involved a long march through the institutions. That march is nigh on accomplished now, sadly, because recent generations dropped their guard and the common man was bribed with trends and trinkets.
“There is still some fire in the English (shared by many of our Celtic and Germanic neighbours, and certainly by our cousins across the Atlantic), but I don’t believe salvation will or even can come by the ballot box. No, this isn’t a call for armed insurrection. The real work is being done on two fronts: those who are learning to detach from the incorporated United Kingdom and returning to the land, and those who are learning to use the laws of this land to preserve some freedom and dignity. The UK is a company, and voting for a new government is akin to voting in a new board of directors. There are fundamental laws that those parasites cannot change, and that’s what people need to learn.”
I am at a loss as to why anybody disagrees with these sentiments – never mind seemingly the vast majority of people. What is the essential difference between those who still believe the emperor is clothed and those who are repelled by the sight of his deformed genitalia? Indoctrination? Mass-formation? Stupidity? How is it that some can see clearly the (hardly covert, at this stage) plot to reset the world, transform society and cage humanity – digitally (digital ID, digital money, ‘smart’ technology…), mentally (censorship, propaganda and humans hooked up to AI) and even physically (15-minute cities, medical apartheid, incoming carbon restrictions on travel) – while others remain oblivious and wilfully ignorant to it, even openly mocking and ridiculing those who are pointing out the blindingly obvious?
Rich: “Belittling publicly, mocking from a pedestal or position of power; these are the tools of weak men and women fearful that the masses will see through the flimsiness of the veils drawn across to hide their corruption. As I said before, there was and is no altruism involved in any of this (what could be described as a drive to destroy everything that could be viewed as sacred and that defines us as human and intrinsically linked to nature and heritage). And again, to reiterate: it’s easier to control a mass of homogenised idiots than a people with a sense of who they are, what they stand for and who with and, to be honest, a good sense of morality. And by that, I don’t mean the fake fucking WOKE political agenda and ridiculous CRT conditioning, where everyone is a victim except a certain demographic who are portrayed as the perpetrators.
“I won’t take a knee, I won’t acknowledge your stupid fucking ‘pronouns’ and your corruption of English and language, and I certainly won’t encourage your sexual fantasies by telling you that by mutilating yourself via surgery you can be a woman. Just to confirm: no we aren’t ‘homophobic”, as our critics may like to believe, just very aware that indoctrination towards a trans humanist agenda uses gender dysphoria as a weapon in school systems by bullying developing children into taking drugs and accepting this as all normal and, worse still, inviting sex offenders into schools to read stories to them. I’m sorry, but this is clearly delusional and dangerous. The people behind this need to be executed. I can safely say that if a 50-year-old man in women’s underwear got his penis out in a school classroom whilst reading Sleeping Beauty because it was considered ‘enlightened’ in front of my daughters, I would quite simply beat him mercilessly, and also the teachers responsible for this farcical perverts party.
“In the ‘80s, we knew exactly what these people were: sick. No matter how much they try to polish the turd that they serve up to the young by inviting the local fetish club in, it is what it is – wrong on every level and not to be tolerated.
“And so in this age of ‘cancel culture’ I want to announce that it’s too late for these knaves, I already cancelled them years before they ‘cancelled’ me … their opinions are odious, and I already decided years ago never to support anything that I didn’t believe in, or that was obviously a fashion by desperate attention-seeking fakers. I’ll just point out here as well, that I was already airing these views over 30 years ago in a band myself and Lennaert (ex-Solstice) played in where we pretty much said everything that I’m saying here. The band in question was Wartorn and of course we were hated because we dared to attack communism, as well as fascism, as well as the herd mentality of what was then known as the politically correct scene.
“But, back on point, really they (the sheep playing at being ‘rebels’) don’t want to change anything, it’s easier to go with the flow rather than stand against the tide. If these things make life easier and there’s more time to LARP then surely that’s good, right?”
Dan: “I think we’ll probably never know why some acknowledge the elephant in the room and others don’t. It has probably always been that way – that a minority of people have the rebellious streak. We could start to speculate down a more esoteric, spiritual path, but it would be just that: speculation. Are we born with the capacity for dissent? Do we develop it? Are most aware but pretend not to be?
“I don’t think it’s stupidity or malice that makes for willing slaves. It’s the CDC – Convenience, Denial and Cowardice. Increasingly, there is a hefty price to pay for being principled, and little in the way of reward. Most people are pragmatists, seeking an easy life. I think most people know, deep down, that what’s going on is wrong, but to admit to yourself that tyranny is afoot places upon oneself a primal obligation to oppose it (with all the inconvenience that accompanies that). If you can convince yourself that there’s no malice or deception by the authorities, then you remove from yourself the obligation to act upon it. And one of the ways people convince themselves to believe in lies, for the convenience of it, is to mock the outlier.”
A solstice is a celestial or planetary event that could be interpreted as representing change and natural cycles, the inexorable flow of the seasons and the march of time. The pulse of life. Timeless transformations from summer to winter and back again. To finish on a positive note, what does Solstice have to offer the world in these troubling times of unprecedented change; what should fellow dissidents be focused on; and what are you most proud of and grateful for?
Rich: “I would like to think that, despite all the anger we feel towards the events of the past 40+ years, where we have witnessed a gradual erosion of all things that could be considered ‘good’ by an insidious enemy, we can offer an alternative point of view and one that in my mind makes much sense and is more ‘in tune’ with what it means to be human rather than a headlong rush into extinction.
“I’ll just clarify one more thing: there has been some serious what we call ‘shit stirring’ by the squawking agents of stupidity; trying to paint members of this band as all manner of fantastical and imaginary threats. Perhaps in a way we’re doing something right and more in tune with what it means to be an enemy of their masters; I would urge all folk to look deeply into their own hearts and ask themselves will they really be happy going to their graves knowing they did nothing when they could have taken a stand and – despite not agreeing with everyone, all the time – never tried to turn back that tide of neo-feudalism so beloved of the elites.
“I would say focus on family, on friends, on traditions and the spreading of hope and a positive message that speaks of not that bleak future of transhumanism and technocracy but of bright summer days spent in each other’s company, exchanging tales over a good meal and pursuing knowledge rather than convenience, raise a glass in toast of all these things that are good and right; but arm yourselves and protect those you love by the speaking of your truth and asserting your right to self-determination. Never surrender, ever.
“What am I grateful for? My family by blood and extended, my friends and bandmates and everyone who extended a hand of friendship and support. It means everything. I’m particularly proud of some of my quick-witted comments when extracting the urine from buffoons, and that I can tie my own shoelaces now (Thanks Anike!!).”
Dan: “I’m proud to be a part of the current Solstice line-up; not only is Solstice a band dedicated to crafting the best music it can (rather than whoring itself around to get ahead), but we’re a group of men who stand for something. Modern Metal fans often forget that Metal is a subculture; and that means it’s allowed (and I would say has a duty) to express opinions that differ from those of the mainstream culture. It seems to me that the majority of the Metal ‘scene’ merely ties itself in knots making its very acceptable and polite views appear somehow rebellious, when in fact all one has to do now to be rebellious is tell the truth.
“I’ve talked about this many times with Rich and our mutual friend Rob Miller; the reason I decided to stick my head above the parapet is because I wanted to offer some encouragement and moral support to the many Metal and Folk music listeners out there who feel the same way but keep silent or have no platform to express themselves from. I’ve received countless private emails and messages from people thanking me for taking the stance that I did. That’s what Solstice has to offer, and it’s very powerful. Nine chords and the truth.
“True dissidents are now focused on building – whether that be creating art or forming self-sufficient networks and communities. I’m immensely grateful, overall, for everything that’s happened since 2020, for the personal growth I’ve experienced is colossal, and the friendships and bonds forged priceless. Onwards!”
Rich: “Never underestimate the power of the sun to push back the approaching darkness, stand like men and honour your forebears.”
Some Solstice-recommended sources of information: