ALBUM REVIEW: Verkligheten – Soilwork

Poster-boys for modern melodeath, Nuclear Blast‘s Swedish act SOILWORK are about as consistently solid as they come. Following their debut effort back in 1998, the quintet have since never failed to release an album within three years of the last; 11 releases in 20 years. This is the hallmark of a band that deserve respect and status. Releasing quality content is one thing, but defiantly maintaining the drive and professionalism to continue touring, marketing and grafting over a period of two decades is surely one of the core characteristics of true musicianship. Moreover, SOILWORK don’t appear to be even vaguely ready to disrupt this trend, as they gear up for the unveiling of Verkligheten, their 12th full-length release, and first bona fide record since 2015’s The Ride Majestic.

Of course, a career in music can always be fragile, and artists can make or break their reputations with the release of an album; however, this band have set an iron-cast precedent over the years, and following the release of two excellent singles in the build-up, one would suspect that a certain level of quality is nigh-on guaranteed.

Meaning ‘reality’ in Swedish, Verkligheten appears to deal with a range of themes, from life and death to existentialism and universality, with more subtle motifs such as Anglo-Saxon culture teetering beneath the surface on a few occasions. With this in mind, the album’s opening section seems to be apt, with a short intro song setting the scene and immediately establishing an atmosphere. A bright, sprightly melody dances above the mix from the get-go, with clean guitar and piano colliding to form a chillingly mysterious vibe, almost resembling something you’d expect to hear in a Sherlock Holmes adaptation. Going from one extreme to the other, this intro track bleeds seamlessly into Arrival, and its impact is crushing. In truly abrupt fashion, the listener is immediately dosed with blast beats and tremolo riffing layered over one another, forming an utterly grandiose and theatrical wall of sound. Partnered with the majesty of Bjorn Stridd‘s famed vocal prowess to produce a truly catchy and memorable chorus, this song is both a thoroughly gripping introduction to the album, and a typical display of SOILWORK‘s ability to blend aggression and grandeur.

The tone of the record is set by these opening two tracks in more ways than one, with the pace in particular becoming a real standout feature throughout. Every song boasts a sense of vigour and buoyancy, ensuring that the listener is engaged and entertained constantly. Even Full Moon Shoals and Stalfagel, the two singles, whilst adopting a more bardic, hook-laden, rock-opera esq. vibe, still sporadically veer off into death-metal infused chaos and face-melting soloing at times, never abandoning the characteristics that SOILWORK are so widely famed for. This said, they certainly don’t shy away from slowing things down when it is necessary, with songs like Bleeder Despoiler and The Nurturing Glance being clear examples of truly tasteful songwriting, where the chaos takes a temporary backseat in order for some atmosphere to be injected, subsequently building back up to a chorus or a heavier section. Again, this is what this band have always done so well: Stalfagel feels like it was written to be played in an arena or at an open-air festival, whereas sixth track When The Universe Spoke wouldn’t be out of place being played at a death metal show. The balance is everything, and Verkligheten represents SOILWORK displaying this better than ever before.

Furthermore, this review would not be complete without an honourable mention of Strid‘s general performance throughout. Of course, we know what to expect from Strid by now, so it comes as no surprise, but nevertheless his contribution here is no less than magnificent. Not only is he technically brilliant from start to finish, relentlessly offering infectiously catchy melodies and memorable choruses, but he is also very much the embodiment of the aforementioned stylistic balance this band employ so well. In scenarios where crushingly epic and heavy instrumental adorns the backdrop of a song, Strid will often embellish the entire picture by adding his own take on proceedings, belting out operatic clean vocals to form a product that truly offers everything. This said, he clearly isn’t afraid of joining in with the chaos from time to time, frequently belting out screams during verses, only to revert back to his familiarly angelic chimes during the following section. Not only is he a microcosm of the range this band are so widely adored for offering, but he is also very much the focal point of the sound in general, and this conveys on Verkligheten more than ever before.

We mentioned this band’s unwavering consistency at the beginning of this review, and it’s safe to say that Verkligheten very much represents a continuation of this. Like it or love it, it is undeniably solid and entertaining, and will sit snugly in the band’s back catalogue. Of course, nothing is perfect, and it’s worth noting that things do appear to tail off towards the end of this album, with the final three tracks in particular proving to be a little underwhelming. This could have easily been a successful album at 40 minutes in length. However, that is merely a question of too much rather than too little, and nothing can be taken away from the bulk of the content on display here. Generally speaking, what SOILWORK have done once again is form a collection of songs that are more or less all catchy, memorable and arrestingly entertaining. As far as we’re concerned, that is a recipe that spells success.

Rating: 8/10

Verkligheten is set for release on January 11th via Nuclear Blast Records. 

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