Solice

The first band we saw was SOLICE, who are from Dallas, and put on a great show. Once again this was my first time seeing/hearing them so I didn’t know what to expect. It seemed like it took them a song or two to get going, but once they did they had the crowd’s attention. Singer Xtina is a powerhouse vocalist and her bandmates complement her very well. I’m looking forward to catching them again, hopefully in a longer set. - Amps And Green Screens

Following them was the Arlington-based Solice, and it had been quite awhile since I had last seen the female fronted hard rock group.

Guitarist Juan Brittos, bassist Rob Pummill and drummer Ryan Matthews began their 43-minute long set with a little instrumental intro, letting the now massive audience know just what they were in for, before Xtina Lee walked on stage. “Dallas, Texas! How’s everyone doing tonight?!” she asked as she took her spot at center stage, noting that this first song was “Sweet Escape”.

Xtina, Juan and Rob did a lot of jumping throughout it, syncing up with one another, and the two guys let loose some wicked screams at times that added to the intensity. “Are y’all having a good time tonight?!” Xtina asked as she finished singing the second chorus, and was met with a ton of cheers and applause. “We’re so excited to be here!” she exclaimed once they finished the song, taking time to mention that on August 1st they’d be releasing a new EP online. “Let me see your hands!” she shouted as her band mates started one of their newer songs, “Heart of Stone”. A sea of hands went up, clapping to the beats Ryan was supplying. I’d say this was the best song I’ve heard Solice do. Musically and lyrically it was even a cut above the material from their previous two EP’s, and the crowd was loving every second of it, while Juan was totally in the zone, shredding on his axe with complete ease.


“Thank you so fucking much!” Xtina said once the song was over, with a smile on her face. She then looked at one friend/fan, saying this next song was by request, after they didn’t play it at their last show. The song was another off their Live EP, “Trapt”, which allowed them to show off their softer side at times, especially in Xtinas’ voice, and she hit some beautiful notes. Upon finishing it, she asked how many people had seen the music video they did for “Do You See it Now?”, which was coming next. They keys she added periodically throughout add a nice balance to the track, a track that was a full on assault from the rhythm section; and Juan squeezed in an excellent solo as well.

Afterwards, Xtina again mentioned how “awesome” this was, and commented on the great energy, but asked everyone to move a little closer so they could see everyone better. “…We’re all friends in the local music scene.” With that, they got to their latest single, “Save Me”, which again featured some of the keys at times; and Rob joined Juan on stage right for a time, as they each let loose their throaty, metal screams into the mic. One of the best parts came towards the end, and as Xtina belted out a line, Rob and Juan dropped to their knees for a few moments, before springing back up.


“…How many veteran Solice fans are in the house?” she asked, while making her way back to the keyboard. Judging by the noise, there were quite a few, and they were glad to hear her say they were bringing back an older song they hadn’t done in awhile. Specifically, that was “The Mask”, a favorite of mine, and from the looks of it, many others, too.

Their time on stage was almost over, and Xtina made sure to let everyone know in about a month they, too, would be getting a plaque up on this wall. They did another (I assume newer) song, which even by their standards was very aggressive; and I really liked the pace it had, with the music bed and vocals working off and complimenting one another.


They ended with what Xtina mentioned was a very personal song to them; and Rob ditched his bass for a guitar. It was titled “Solice”, and you felt the emotion as they performed it. “…A smile left with no goodbye, and now I’m barely hanging on…” went one of the lines, while they gradually built it up from the more acoustic vibe it had begun with.


This was the best show I’ve seen Solice do. Since I’ve been aware of them I’ve always thought they were a great band, put they’ve pushed themselves above and beyond the level they used to be at.

They were even more solid as a band in general, with deepened chemistry with one another; and the exerted a hold over everyone that you couldn’t break free from, nor did you want to.

Some of that probably did have something to do with the awesome crowd, too, ‘cause it’s always better when there are a bunch of people at a show, and the band can work of their energy and vice versa.

Regardless, Solice proved just way they, too, will soon have a plaque on this storied wall.

That plaque presentation show will be on Sunday, August 31st. They’ll also be playing Houston on August 1st at Acadia and August 2nd at Lola’s Saloon in Fort Worth. They have a show at The Dirty Rooster in Allen on September 20th, too. Don’t forget their new EP comes out on August 1st, and in the meantime you can also get their last one in iTUNES. - The Music Enthusiast

The instrumentalists, guitarist Juan Brittos, bassist Rob Pummil and drummer Ryan Matthews were raring to go, and they began before the curtain was pulled open on them. The venue was pretty packed by now, and their throng of fans instantly got into the music, banging their heads along, while Rob jumped about.

“Dallas, Texas, make some noise!” shouted Xtina Lee when she stormed the stage a few moments later. “This first song is Sweet Escape!” she added, as the music soon let up. “I want to escape from this horrid place, but it’s captured me…” she crooned on the first verse, before it roared back into action at the chorus. It was then that she, Juan and Rob around in their spots. “Make some noise!” Xtina shouted at one point during the track, drawing a massive response from everyone; and at another point, the fans decided to start a clap along to the beats Ryan was knocking out.


“Dallas, Texas, we are so fucking excited to be here. It’s all because of you,” she added, expressing their gratitude to all the fans for helping them receive a plaque. “Let me see your hands!” she then requested, leading the crowd in a clap along while Juan ripped into “Heart of Stone” with a wicked solo. The fans seemed to be loving that song — which is one of the newest in their catalog; and it seemed to be the song where they solidified their hold over the crowd this night.

“This is one of our favorites,” Xtina stated before their next one, asking to see some lighters or cell phones in the air. Both were raised towards the sky, and surprisingly, there were more lighters than phone screen present — at least from my line of sight. The tune was “Trapped”, which showed off the more delicate side they are capable of (at times, at least), but that didn’t last too long. Xtina threw out some merch to the fans, which ranged from wristbands to a copy of their debut LP, and then asked if anyone had checked out their Youtube channel. Those who had knew the song quite well, as Xtina stepped back by the keyboard and used it for just a bit at the start. “Do You See It Now?” was made all the more ominous by the eerie way both Juan and Rob uttered the title into their mics. The fans were once again brought into the show when another clap along moment arose, and everyone was more than willing to be a part of it.

“Has anyone heard our single?” Xtina asked. Of course, some had, and a few fans shouted, “Save Me!” back at them. The heavy song was made even heavier by the backing vocals Juan does, screaming in a throaty and very metal sounding voice. Afterwards, a quick poll was taken, which showed not just how many people had seen Solice before, but also that there were plenty of first timers there. “This is one of the first songs we ever wrote,” Xtina then mentioned, setting up their next song. “…It’s about not being fake or something that you’re not,” she finished, before returning to the keys as she and her band mates got “The Mask” underway. Rob — who had now removed the vest he had been wearing so far this night — was furiously slapping his bass on that classic Solice tune; and about midway through, Juan was roaming around the stage, eventually jumping atop the center monitor.

“Never Enough” had a little prelude of sorts, which saw Xtina swaying to and fro in front of the microphone, before the drums and everything else kicked in, sending not only the song but also the band into overdrive. There came a moment when Xtina decided to crowd surf. The audience had thinned out some now that they were in the latter part of their set; and she didn’t get too far off the stage before slipping a bit. Those who did have her quickly put some extra muscle into it to ensure nothing would happen to her, before sending her back to the stage. Then, when the song reached its pinnacle moment, sounding quite metal, a mosh-pit was started by some of the spectators.


The action packed “Break Free” came next, and Xtina noted that while they don’t play it too often, they were doing it for everyone this night. “BREAK FREE!” Rob screamed at the top of his lungs before each chorus, and he continued slapping his bass. The rhythm section in general sounds amazing on that song, and the mighty beats Ryan was producing made it all the more fitting of an environment for another small mosh-pit to break out.

For their final song, they did something a little different. Josh Woodward — who produced their album — joined them on stage. Rob handed him his bass, while he grabbed another guitar. “…This song’s very special to me,” Xtina stated, referring to “Solace”. “Solace comes when you accept your pain,” goes one of the lines from that emotion-filled song about getting out of a toxic relationship, a song that had all eyes glued on them.

It provided a good note to end on, and at 45-minutes, their set was the longest of the night.


The audience applauded them, especially once their plaque was brought out. The group posed around, and it appeared that nearly every person in there had to phones up to take a picture of this landmark event in Solice’s history.

The excitement of the night was evident in every single second of the show, and you could tell there was just something special in it. It’s the kind of rush that comes with getting a plaque or even releasing a CD, and the fact that Solice managed to combine the two made it all the more memorable. Mix in a healthy crowd who was providing plenty of energy for them to feed off of, and the result was probably one of the best shows they’ve ever done.

You can get their record, Solace, on iTUNES. As for shows, they’ll be playing The Dirty Rooster in Allen on September 20th, and then The Wreck Room in Amarillo on October 18th. - The Music Enthusiast

Dallas-based rock group Solice will release their new EP this spring. In anticipation, the band has teamed up with Revolver to premiere their new song and music video, “In the Dark.” Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments!

Vocalist Xtina Lee said, “This upcoming release means a lot to us. We have grown a lot over the last four years as a band and I am so excited for everyone to experience a little piece of our souls. A lot of these songs are about finding yourself and overcoming the darkness.” - Revolver Magazine