Today, we’re hosting an exclusive premiere of Solar Wimp’s upcoming album, Trails of Light, set to be released on Bandcamp on November 15th. Trails of Light twists together genres, pushing the edges of progressive metal and chaotic hardcore into a chaotic, cosmic experience. It’s an album that brings to mind the complexity of Pyrrhon, the eerie atmospheres of Oranssi Pazuzu, and the jagged rhythms of Voivod, all while standing as its own fiercely original entity.
Jeremy Kerner describes the album’s lyrical direction as “nature-worship and dark fantasy,” aiming to escape a world often “overpopulated with stupefying ignorance and cruelty” through mystical, transformative themes.
“It’s escapism – a quest for magic and mystery in a world that can seem overpopulated with stupefying and mundane ignorance and cruelty. There are recurring motifs of transformation, fusion, and a sense of being entwined or entranced. It’s an abstract, layered, and often disjointed narrative exploring ideas of blurred boundaries between different states of being. Scenes of natural processes imbued with energy are prevalent throughout. Mystical, ritualistic elements tie these themes together with scenes of spellcasting and otherworldly phenomenon.”
The album is marked by its striking cover art by Ian Miller, known for his work with bands like Ulthar. It reflects the layered and otherworldly essence of Trails of Light.
Jeremy recounts, “I was blown away by his style… there’s an abstract, organic, otherworldly quality to what he conjured.” Adding further character, Patrick Shiroishi guests on saxophone, propelling the album’s sonic reach beyond traditional metal into a realm that feels almost cinematic.
Solar Wimp—comprised of Jeremy Kerner (vocals and guitar), Justin Brown (bass), and Mark Kimbrell (drums)—recorded Trails of Light under unconventional circumstances, capturing its raw energy in a borrowed church and a bedroom, facilitated by producer and engineer Daniel Zaidenstadt.
Mark recalls, “As people who fled from religious upbringings, blasting out a metal album in a church was a wild opportunity that was too good to pass up.” Zaidenstadt’s contributions didn’t stop at engineering; he also added various instrumental touches, proving instrumental in shaping the album’s final sound.
With a history stretching back to the band’s early experiments in Peoria, Illinois, in 1995, Solar Wimp evolved through numerous lineups and musical phases. Jeremy and Mark recount how the band’s sound has moved from early experimental soundscapes to today’s progressive, abrasive metal. “We had a solid album’s worth of material and were gearing up to record when COVID hit,” Jeremy reflects. “Once we were able to get back to jamming, we picked up right where we left off and got back up to speed.”
And what about Solar Wimp’s picks for bands worth watching? Some of their recommendations embody the creative freedom and avant-garde spirit that Trails of Light champions.
Jeremy: One of the first shows I went to see here in Sacramento was Looolowningen, an incredible trio from Tokyo.
Opening for them was a local trio called Gentleman Surfer. Consisting of drums, keyboards, and guitar, they proceeded to give my brain a proper thrashing.
It was wildly complex, but also bashed out and had a rough looseness to it that really struck me. They’ve got a new record on deck which I had the pleasure of getting a preview of, and it’s fantastic.
Mark: A great band that we’ve shared some history with (gigs and members–Ryan plays bass with them) is Corima.
They play very intense Magma-style prog. They’ve got a new record coming soon, and their last one Amaterasu is a jam.
“Trails of Light” Track-by-Track Commentary
Entwined With Glass – “The ever-shifting meter made this a fun one to play live. The loping baseline in the chorus gives the tune a kind of buoyancy,” says Jeremy, adding that this track channels his appreciation for harmony-driven, Maiden-inspired leads.
Tectonic Deformation – Jeremy highlights his love for early thrash here, describing the half-time midsection as “the band’s been stricken with nausea and slowly recovers… only to be thrown into some strange loop that wraps things up.” An excerpt from an old synth-and-drums jam adds a fittingly chaotic end.
Strand and Tether – Featuring Shiroishi’s saxophone, Jeremy notes, “He just takes the tune out into the stratosphere.” Justin’s bass chords drive the contrast between the gentle intro and the explosive verse, encapsulating the album’s constant push-and-pull between tranquility and disarray.
Enhanced Iconography – This track brings an “abrasive, twitchy feel” with its dissonant intro and complex triplet sections. The rolling drums carry the tune, giving it what Jeremy calls a “twitchy, broken chorus,” a perfect setup for a song that feels on the verge of collapse.
Shimmer – A standout for sheer unpredictability, this song showcases influences from guitarists like King Buzzo. Jeremy adds, “I really dig the bass and guitar harmonies here,” while Zaidenstadt’s bridge, featuring violin and trumpet, adds to the track’s surreal quality.
Ceremonial Collar – A long-time staple of Solar Wimp’s live set, this track brings relentless energy. Jeremy appreciates the “pummeling drums,” crediting Mark for driving the track’s visceral impact.
Regula – Closing the album, Regula juxtaposes jangly open-string chords with descending bass licks. Jeremy reflects, “I like it as a closer because there’s such a pointed ending after all the chaos,” summing up the album’s journey with a final, impactful conclusion.
For those of you that got hooked, here’s the full, in-depth commentary from SOLAR WIMP
Tell us more about your story, your inspirations, and how the project has evolved.
Jeremy: The lineup on Trails of Light had been consistent since 2016 and was based in Los Angeles, but the band originally formed way back in 1995 in Peoria, Illinois. When we first started doing home recordings I was listening to a lot of experimental music and found-sound-collage radio (countless hours of Negativland and Puzzling Evidence) and those influences definitely seeped into what we were doing. I recall we were both listening to The Residents a lot around that time too. It was just me on guitar, bass, samples, sound effects, synth, vocals, and Cory Flanigan on drums and percussion. We released a couple albums’ worth of odd instrumental tunes with a lot of layered harmonies, strange sound effects, samples, and a wide range of instruments.
Eventually the two of us started organizing into a performing group with more traditional tunes. We still had the soundscape aspect – a laptop would provide the swirling weirdness behind us – but the songs started to become more twitchy and abrasive. The band got a major shot in the arm when our friend Rune joined us on bass. We moved away from the backing tracks and just started performing as a trio. Cory got to stretch out and dig in on drums, no longer tied to the click that was required for our layered miscellany. The arrangements started tightening up and getting heavier, peppered with lots of odd-meter passages and jarring transitions.
Over time both Cory and Rune decided to move out of Los Angeles, leading to the final lineup with Justin Brown on bass and Mark Kimbrell on drums. The music got much heavier at that stage and we were experimenting with time a lot more. We had put together a solid album’s worth of material and were gearing up to record the album when COVID hit and everything ground to a halt. Once we were able to get back to jamming, we picked up right where we left off and got back up to speed on the material so we could document it. Gigs still weren’t an option, which helped us stick to the mission.
Trails of Light is a more refined and aggressive version of some of the ideas I was trying to develop on our last record. I’m really thankful we were able to make this happen before I left. We were so lucky to have Dan Z wearing so many hats for this project. Not only did he record, engineer, and mix this record, but he provided some great vocals and instrumentation as well. He has a very “no rules” mindset and a lot of great ideas. He overdubbed a sick guitar divebomb on one of the tunes and I recall it got voted down at some point. Now I fear that was a terrible mistake, haha.
Mark: Solar Wimp as a band has had four distinct eras: The original experimental duo of Jeremy Kerner and Cory Flanigan, which was followed by the first “rock” trio when Rune Freeman joined them on bass. That morphed into a heavier trio shortly after I came in on drums, which eventually grew into the metal version with Ryan Kamiyamazaki and finally Justin Brown on bass. Jeremy proposed changing the band name at least a couple times over those periods, though I’m glad we didn’t, since it serves as a thread to trace his musical evolution over a long period of time.Jeremy and I have had a longstanding love for classic metal, but have also mostly been involved with fairly forward-looking projects (Upsilon Acrux, FeatherWolf). I think this final iteration of Solar Wimp was something of an attempt to draw from both wells.
What are your plans for the future?
Jeremy: Now that I’m here in Sacramento I’ve found three like-minded musicians that I’ve started jamming with. Right now it’s two guitars, drums, and synth. I think of the stuff we’re doing as dark fantasy goth prog. It’s all dreamy, instrumental, proggy stuff and I imagine our ideal gig would be out in the woods under the moonlight, performing for a group of psychonaut druids.
Mark: Though this album is the final statement from Solar Wimp, we’re keeping busy individually with new music–I’m playing with Oort Smog and Upsilon Acrux, and Jeremy is ramping up his new project in Sacramento.
It would also be great to get a comment on the cover art and how the visual side of things connects to the themes in your lyrics. I’m really curious about that.
Jeremy: The first time I saw Ian Miller’s work was on the cover of Ulthar’s album, Helionomicon. They’re a killer death metal band out of Oakland. I was blown away by his style. I then visited his website and found a veritable treasure trove of strange and wonderful imagery. I also sought out the Lovecraft book cover art he created, which is brilliant. I was then convinced that his experimental, surreal style would be a great complement to the music. After getting Mark and Justin on board I reached out. I was over the moon when he agreed to craft something for us. I provided the full album, lyrics for three of the songs, and made note of specific pieces of his that really called to me. I was geeking hard, as every email I received had an incredible illustration attached – one I hadn’t seen in his portfolio or anywhere online. There’s an abstract, organic, otherworldly quality to what he conjured that seemed to be plugged directly into some of the strange scenes of transformation described in the lyrics. I felt very honored to have such a master collaborate on this project.
Mark: I love it when artwork feels like an extension of the “world” of the album, and I think that’s what Ian achieved. We sent him music and lyrics, but we didn’t ask him to represent specific elements. We just trusted him to do his thing, and it came out really well. Sharp angles and twisted shapes are what the music feels like. The faces and creatures read as his interpretations of the nameless beings present throughout the lyrics. I think part of Jeremy’s genius is writing lyrics that are vivid and minimalist at the same time. When you hear them, you’re going to imagine the scene in your own way. Ian’s art matches that vividness while still leaving lots of space for the listener’s imagination.
And if you’re interested, maybe you could share some recommendations of local artists that are flying under the radar? We often include those in our publications, and it helps increase reach across our social media channels.
Jeremy: One of the first shows I went to see here in Sacramento was Looolowningen, an incredible trio from Tokyo. Opening for them was a local trio called Gentleman Surfer. Consisting of drums, keyboards, and guitar, they proceeded to give my brain a proper thrashing. It was wildly complex, but also bashed out and had a rough looseness to it that really struck me. They’ve got a new record on deck which I had the pleasure of getting a preview of, and it’s fantastic.
Mark: A great band that we’ve shared some history with (gigs and members–Ryan plays bass with them) is Corima. They play very intense Magma-style prog. They’ve got a new record coming soon, and their last one Amaterasu is a jam.
