Soilwork Appreciation

[wolfking]

The Live in the Heart of Helsinki DVD/CD had a pretty stellar setlist, including at least a song from every album.  They seem to have totally ignored the first two albums these days.  I guess the connection with the Night Flight Orchestra has drawn in a lot of fans who wouldn't care for their harsh-only material.

I think you could be onto something here.  There were more females there than I thought they'd be an I just kinda got the feeling not many were really concerned with the lack of old stuff.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I mean, not even just women, growl-hesitant guys like 425 dig some of their more recent material, and probably wouldn't really be into The Chainheart Machine.  I think there might be a song or two on the album this year that my parents might be ok with (even Pain of Salvation was too growly for them growing up). 

[wolfking]

Eh, I can't complain, I'm glad I saw them, they were tight and put on a great show regardless.  Funny though, Bjorn only mentioned something briefly about David while the band were playing the start of The Nurturing Glance.  Before it kicked in Bjorn said something like, "here's a song written by one of the best song writers in the world, David Andersson, may he RIP."  then it kicked in.  I thought there would have been a spoken segment between the songs but it was very brief.

Given the fact that the band played all but 3 songs from the new era, it will be interesting to see where they go from here now David is gone.

[wolfking]

Also, Slyvain has a great stage presence and decent feel and solos on his parts, but the new bloke was very ordinary in his guitar playing.  Nothing wrong with it, just very run of the mill and nothing special, yet did his job.

[Grappler]

Also, Slyvain has a great stage presence and decent feel and solos on his parts, but the new bloke was very ordinary in his guitar playing.  Nothing wrong with it, just very run of the mill and nothing special, yet did his job.

I saw them in 2016 and was front row for most of the show.  I loved watching Sylvain - he was raging the whole night.  We had a decent setlist that night - I can't remember all of the songs, but they played these:  The Chainheart Machine, Bastard Chain, Follow the Hollow, Rejection Role, Overload, Stabbing the Drama, The Crestfallen.  Then there were 2-3 songs from Living Infinite and at least The Ride Majestic, if not one more from that disc.  They also played Late to the Kill, Early to the Slaughter and Two Lives Worth of Reckoning.

I give them credit for committing to the new stuff, but I'd be bummed about the set too if they played 8 songs from the last two and barely any older songs. 

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Interesting, Simon's done some pretty good work in the past.  Satariel's Hydra, Edge of Sanity's Crimson II, plus other things from The Project Hate, Tiamat, Witchery, Wolf, and others. 

[wolfking]

Interesting, Simon's done some pretty good work in the past.  Satariel's Hydra, Edge of Sanity's Crimson II, plus other things from The Project Hate, Tiamat, Witchery, Wolf, and others.

Huh, didn't know the Crimson 2 reference.  I though Mike Wead did all the leads, looks like I'm wrong.  To be honest, I know nothing about him.

I'm not saying he's a bad guitarist, just didn't wow me last night.

[wolfking]

Also, Slyvain has a great stage presence and decent feel and solos on his parts, but the new bloke was very ordinary in his guitar playing.  Nothing wrong with it, just very run of the mill and nothing special, yet did his job.

I saw them in 2016 and was front row for most of the show.  I loved watching Sylvain - he was raging the whole night.  We had a decent setlist that night - I can't remember all of the songs, but they played these:  The Chainheart Machine, Bastard Chain, Follow the Hollow, Rejection Role, Overload, Stabbing the Drama, The Crestfallen.  Then there were 2-3 songs from Living Infinite and at least The Ride Majestic, if not one more from that disc.  They also played Late to the Kill, Early to the Slaughter and Two Lives Worth of Reckoning.

I give them credit for committing to the new stuff, but I'd be bummed about the set too if they played 8 songs from the last two and barely any older songs.

Looks like an amazing set.  I'm thinking maybe all the new stuff is a tribute to David, but a lot of the songs played last night were Bjorn songs so not sure.  Maybe they are just starting to turn into In Flames with the song selections.

[ariich]

I mean, not even just women, growl-hesitant guys like 425 dig some of their more recent material, and probably wouldn't really be into The Chainheart Machine.  I think there might be a song or two on the album this year that my parents might be ok with (even Pain of Salvation was too growly for them growing up). 

It's not just about vocals. I listen to plenty of growls-only music and I have no real interest in the first two albums because I simply don't find the music interesting.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Yeah, I suppose everyone has different tastes.  Honestly it was probably my least favorite album of theirs for quite awhile myself (still not sure where it would rank now without thinking about it more), and it seemed my online circle was far more over the moon about it than me.  It has a level of speed and vocal aggression on some tracks that makes even At The Gates seem calm and restrained.  Still, it's hard to imagine fans of melodeath not being able to appreciate the melodicism of tunes like these, unless those clean vocal choruses are an absolute necessity.  It's grown on me a lot over time. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l-kAL6u5FU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST7caG6mXUM

[wolfking]

Chainheart Machine made my top 50.  It's a near perfect melodic death metal album IMO.

[Glasser]

Chainheart Machine made my top 50.  It's a near perfect melodic death metal album IMO.

Oh hell yes!!!!   

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Chainheart Machine made my top 50.  It's a near perfect melodic death metal album IMO.

A harsh-only melodeath album needs some good acoustic guitar work to be perfect, but that's my taste. 

[wolfking]

Chainheart Machine made my top 50.  It's a near perfect melodic death metal album IMO.

A harsh-only melodeath album needs some good acoustic guitar work to be perfect, but that's my taste.

I respect that and see where you are coming from.  I think that's one thing that made Chainheart really grow for me.  The vocals mixed with the type of metal behind it.  Not to mention a lot of bluesy guitar licks which made a great contrast again.

[Polarbear]

Honestly, I too am not a huge fan of Steelbath Suicide or Chainheart Machine. I like A Predator's Portrait much more.
It has the aggression of the first 2 albums, but also the identity of the later Soilwork albums, as Strid started to introduce clean vocals in the mix.

Soilwork are doing a Finnish tour in April, and I'm going to see them in a town near me!

[Polarbear]

Yesterday I was at a Soilwork show, in a town called Jyväskylä!

First time seeing them live, despite being a fan for over 10 years now.

They delivered and then some! Setlist was almost exactly the same as the one from the Australian tour. Only 3 songs from the 1998-2010 era. I didn't mind. It would have been nice to hear some more deep cuts, but I was satisfied!

They are a seriously well oiled machine! Björn's vocals sounded great.

[wolfking]

Yeah, I still am super impressed how good they were, especially Bjorn.  Incredible, dominating frontman.

Hopefully more variety in the sets in future tours but the new stuff did come across well.

[Polarbear]

Bump!

New Soilwork song "The Spirit of No Return" is coming 02.10.2024! They have a teaser for it on instagram.

No word yet, if this is just a single release or a complete studio album. Nevertheless, this is the first new music from the band since David's passing.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I still have to remind myself that many international dates have the day and month reversed from the US, so that's in a week rather than last February.   

[wolfking]

Bump!

New Soilwork song "The Spirit of No Return" is coming 02.10.2024! They have a teaser for it on instagram.

No word yet, if this is just a single release or a complete studio album. Nevertheless, this is the first new music from the band since David's passing.

I am ready!! 

[gazinwales]

I'm hoping the new song will be a lot more aggressive than the last couple of albums

[ProfessorPeart]

I still have to remind myself that many international dates have the day and month reversed from the US, so that's in a week rather than last February. 

I had the same thought. Why are we being informed of a new song from 7 months ago?

[ariich]

I still have to remind myself that many international dates have the day and month reversed from the US, so that's in a week rather than last February. 

And by "many", you mean "all". 

[wolfking]

I'm hoping the new song will be a lot more aggressive than the last couple of albums

Even though I've liked everything they have done, I'm secretly hoping this too.

[Glasser]

I'm ready for a new album, loved the last 2! I love all things Soilwork though. So awful David Andersson is gone. 

[wolfking]

I'm ready for a new album, loved the last 2! I love all things Soilwork though. So awful David Andersson is gone. 

His passing was such a shock.  Great songwriter and breathed new life into the band.  Looking forward to I guess what will be the third era of the band.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

I guess artists like this can be subdivided in lots of ways, but I suppose I think of it as:

harsh vocals only (through TCHM) -> clean vocal hook incorporation (through STD) -> guitar team chaos (through TPB) -> revitalized era with a new stabilized lineup (through TRM) -> new drummer, TNFO, AOR and proggier influences strongly bleeding into their output. 

[wolfking]

That's pretty specific.     While you are not wrong, I just think of the whole first era as up to TPB and then TLI onwards is another era for me.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Intentionally or otherwise, you're essentially making the second era line up with Andersson's involvement.  Yet I just feel a distinctive break, with the first two feeling like the idealized version of 00s Soilwork returning, and then Verkligheten feeling like a strong departure for me other than the odd track here and there. 

[wolfking]

Intentionally or otherwise, you're essentially making the second era line up with Andersson's involvement.  Yet I just feel a distinctive break, with the first two feeling like the idealized version of 00s Soilwork returning, and then Verkligheten feeling like a strong departure for me other than the odd track here and there. 

Pretty much how I just look at it.  I just think with David coming in the band took on a new form.  I don't think the four albums plus the EP differ from each other all that much to be honest so that's interesting.  If anything, the latest was the most different, but once I warmed to it, the roots of that era for me are all still there.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Well, their most recent was definitely another big step.  But even though TLI is a double album, which is kind of a prog thing to do, I can't see a lot of "A Whisp of the Atlantic" or a bunch of sections of Overgivenheten quite fitting on it.  Either way, the band is almost unrecognizable now compared to TCHM, which I'm totally fine with, I suspect their latest material will continue to grow on me even more over time. 

[wolfking]

Well, their most recent was definitely another big step.  But even though TLI is a double album, which is kind of a prog thing to do, I can't see a lot of "A Whisp of the Atlantic" or a bunch of sections of Overgivenheten quite fitting on it.  Either way, the band is almost unrecognizable now compared to TCHM, which I'm totally fine with, I suspect their latest material will continue to grow on me even more over time. 

You are definitely right, the phases they have gone through are insane and I hear what you're saying, it's a stretch to say the band only have a couple of eras when you consider the sound of say the latest effort vs Chainheart or even APP or NBC, I get that.  I'm fine with whatever too, but as I said, I do hope the aggression doesn't get turned down even more.  Would love some return to the roots but we'll see.

[Polarbear]

Well, their most recent was definitely another big step.  But even though TLI is a double album, which is kind of a prog thing to do, I can't see a lot of "A Whisp of the Atlantic" or a bunch of sections of Overgivenheten quite fitting on it.  Either way, the band is almost unrecognizable now compared to TCHM, which I'm totally fine with, I suspect their latest material will continue to grow on me even more over time. 

To me, Verkligheten and Övergivenheten were not that much of a departure from what came before. They sound different compared to the first 3 or so albums, sure. But to me, the last 2 albums sound very consistent to the style they have had for 10+ years now.

I'm excited for new Soilwork music, and I hope a full studio album is coming sooner rather than later. David's passing was a huge blow to them, just like TNFO. I'm guessing Björn handles the lion share of songwriting now, with the other members contributing differing amounts.

[wolfking]

Probably mostly Bjorn but I'm hoping we get to hear more from Sylvain.

[Polarbear]

New song is up on Spotify, and had a quick listen to it!

Main riff is very fast, and almost reminds me of their early work. Trademark catchy chorus also!

Overall, not any surprises here but an awesome tune nonetheless.