People who have been following my twitter have undoubtedly already noticed, but the Nuttyville household has gotten its grubby little hands on the newest Soilwork album, The Panic Broadcast, and it has been blaring through our speakers ever since.
So, what do I think of it? Well, it effectively ended my brief infatuation with Ghost Brigade, that’s what it did. I was building up a crush on Ghost Brigade, but ever since I’ve been playing Soilwork again it feels terribly slow and sluggish. I’m sure that it’ll return at some point, but at the moment I’m too busy marvelling at Dirk Verbeuren’s drumming, Bjorn Strid’s screaming, and oh, the wall of sounds that the guitars make.
I’m very comfortable with the fact that I came late to the metal scene. I’ve never gone through a snobby phase where it comes to the different subgenres and while I like to poke fun at My Chemical Romance (for example) I’m the first to admit that what they do, they do really well. The general opinion on Soilwork on the internet seems to be that their older work is made of awesome, and after Natural Born Chaos it all went downhill - Sworn To A Great Divide is said to be the low point.
I am not too proud to admit that Sworn To A Great Divide, in my book, is made of awesome. An album that carries songs like “As The Sleeper Awakes” and “The Pittsburgh Syndrome” is impossible not to be extremely appreciated. I have a hooded sweater and a t-shirt that carry the title of this album for a reason – I loved the melodies and I didn’t mind that it was a bit slower at times. Soilwork does the slower work really well, too. (Take slow with a grain of salt here, btw. What is slow for Soilwork will still shock the hell out of the casual non-metal listener.)
Because you know what Soilwork is really good at? MELODY. They’re a melodic death metal band. (They’ve flirted with metalcore, and I’m fine with metalcore. More than fine, actually. I kind of totally dig it.) Their melodies are top notch, and I love to let myself get carried away on them. What they also do very well is the refrains and the singalongs – they’re very good to yell along on top of your lungs. Bjorn’s clean vocals are really pretty – and his choruses are going to play in your head all day. Add to this the best drumming I’ve heard EVER (I should have let Dirk sign my boobs as well, in November 2008. Not just Bjorn. Dammit!), and an energy that’s completely invigorating, and then you have my love for Soilwork. 
(I added this picture of their gig at Graspop 2008 just so I could say things like: lights as bright as my love for Soilwork, yes)
But, you may ask (or not, probably), what do I think of The Panic Broadcast? Well, dear reader who’s probably snoring with disinterest at this point, it is made of WIN. I love this album. It’s full of great tracks, and while at times it feels a bit like hitting a brick wall of music headfirst, once you dive through, the water’s great. Songs like “Late for the kill” make me grin like an idiot, “Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning” is brilliant, “Deliverance Is Mine,” “Night Comes Clean”, the ballad “Let This River Flow”… shit, should I list every single track?
I don’t think so. Bottomline is, Soilwork still rocks my world. I am so terribly glad they didn’t disappoint me.
I can’t WAIT to see them live again. They’re the only band next to System of a Down who’ve ever blown my mind with a revolutionary gig, and while I know that next time can’t possibly be as good, I just want to see them live again. I need to hear these new songs (and while we’re asking anyway, please, “Soilworker’s Song Of The Damned” as well, now we’re at it) live. And this time I will get the drummer to sign my boobs, I think. 