We formed SOLITUDE in '83 after meeting at a party in our neighborhood. Starting off just jamming together then playing friends' parties, we gradually moved up to getting gigs in local bars in and around Delaware. We were fortunate enough to build a solid following from those gigs, and from that, we began to play area venues. We recorded our first demo "Focus Of Terror" in '87, that included "The End", featured on NEW RENAISSANCE RECORDS' "Thrash Metal Attack 3" then followed that up with "Sickness" in '88, including the song "Typhoid Mary", which was featured on METAL BLADE RECORDS' "Metal Massacre 10", giving us the national exposure we wanted. After that, we put out both "Way Out Of Hand" & "Play Upon Words" in '89.
The underground tape-trading and worldwide Fanzine (METAL-CORE, KERRANG, etc.) exposure that followed began to pay off for us and we started playing bigger and better gigs around the mid-atlantic region opening for SACRED REICH, DEATH, DARK ANGEL, HALLOW'S EVE, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, FORBIDDEN, DEATH ANGEL, CELTIC FROST & WRATHCHILD AMERICA among others, and also gave us a strong foothold in Philadelphia's area clubs, including the Trocadero and Empire Rock Club (RIP) playing multiple times with Philly legends FAITH OR FEAR & DOMINANCE.
In '90, we released "Fall Of Creation". Again, thanks to increased attention from underground tape-trading & worldwide Fanzines, relentlessly playing shows in support of the new release, an immense push from NUCLEAR ASSAULT's Glenn Evans via ARENA RECORDS, continuous on-stage support during their shows from SACRED REICH's Phil Rind & SEPULTURA's Max Cavalera and some great exposure in magazines like METAL MANIACS, THRASH 'EM ALL & METAL FORCES, "Fall Of Creation" picked up momentum and began grabbing the attention of a few different labels in the U.S. & Europe who fortunately offered us deals.
In '93 we signed to Red Light Records (SONY family), out of IL. We recorded "From Within", produced & mixed by Drew Mazurek (GWAR, Nothingface, Linkin Park, Common, Sinch, H.I.M., etc.) at OZ Studios in Balt., MD. and was set to be released in '94, followed by a European tour. By the time the release date came and went, a few times, Red Light lost their distribution and finally admitted they were folding. "From Within" saw a little life after being released in Europe on Bulletproof/Music For Nations. It did well, flaring talks of a European tour again, but they too, ran into trouble and had to cut the backing we were going to be getting. Some copies of "From Within" are still floating around, and occasionally, someone buys one. After the label drama, we continued to play shows, but without a label's backing and the Thrash/Speed Metal genre being smothered by Grunge, among other things, we ran out of gas and decided to put SOLITUDE to rest in '95.
Fast forward to 2009 - out of nowhere, TRIBUNAL RECORDS president Matt Rudzinski offers to re-issue not only "From Within", but some of our old demos as well, on a 2-disc CD entitled "Poisoned Population: The Complete Collection (1987-1994)", with 26 remastered (by Jamie King) tracks, vintage video from shows w/ CELTIC FROST and DARK ANGEL & slideshow of some of our original fliers, liner notes w/ full lyrics & a recent interview with vocalist Keith Saulsbury by Kevin Stewart-Panko of DECIBEL/TERRORIZER magazine. Now, you're basically caught up on SOLITUDE (we, by the way, had the original TM/copyright for the name "SOLITUDE"). Not too bad for a band from a state people barely know exists. Who knows what the future holds for SOLITUDE, but for now, we're going to have fun with it and prepare for a helluva reunion show in 2010!Discography:
Focus Of Terror Demo, 1987
Sickness Demo, 1988
Fall of Creation Demo, 1990
From Within Full-length, 1994
Poisoned Population: The Complete Collection (1987-1994) 2009
Myspace: www.myspace.com/solitude302
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