Soilwork - Sworn To A Great Divide - 19.10.07

If it was their intention that melody be at the heart of their seventh studio album, then Soilwork have struck gold. Snapshots of the death metal they used to vent still exist on the monstrous ‘The Pittsburgh Syndrome’ and ‘As The Sleeper Awakes’, but akin to the latter half of their back catalogue, the majority of material here is surrounded by sumptuous melodic chapters, exhibited by a number of the band’s finest sonorous moments to date in ‘Breeding Thorns’ and in particular ‘Your Beloved Scapegoat’, rivalling anything In Flames or Scar Symmetry have up their collective sleeves. Bjorn ‘Speed’ Strid warrants a special mention here, his consistently excellent vocal work outstanding on this record; his range and power in particular on ‘Light Discovering Darkness’ displaying an unbridled new focus.

If it’s a head-scratching exercise for melodic metal bands with any longevity to their evolution to incorporate heaviness with accessibility and still retain some degree of kudos, then Soilwork have nailed it again. This latest offering is a masterful tapestry and a stellar example of a band at the height of their own expertly conceived development: very heavy, commercially viable, but with all sense of credibility firmly intact, with ‘Sworn To A Great Divide’ Soilwork continue to lay down the benchmark for melodic heavy metal that you’ll be listening to with fondness for years to come.


Verdict :

JIM BURT