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A lot of bands try and claim that their new album is 'our most melodic' (see: more autotune) whilst simultaneously being 'our most brutal' (see: more breakdowns). So, for Soilwork to actually deliver on such a promise (whilst never explicitly stating it, to my knowledge) is impressive. The disc takes what they started on The Living Infinite, focuses it into 11 (13 on the special edition) songs, adds a liberal dash of A Predator's Portrait and Natural Born Chaos, and then sucks you into the maelstrom.
The title track is a pretty succint summation of the album; it has an insanely catchy lead hook and massive chorus, whilst never feeling trite. Speed is on fire, his vocals sounding better than ever on all fronts. Sylvain Coudret and David Andersson's guitar work is as ever an excellent continuation of the Soilwork sound, occasionally delving into somewhat calmer waters (Death in General, All Along Ehcoing Paths). We also have some intense brutality (Alight in the Aftermath, The Phantom) the latter of which is hearkening back to their Chainheart era material. It's very easily the band's most complete release, with no filler tracks, no wasted moments.
The main criticism we have to level here is that Sven Karlsson's keys are buried in the mix, for the most part. They come to the fore here and there, but it's much less pronounced that on the last few releases. Overall, it's a minor quibble however, and it doesn't necessarily hurt the flow of the songs at all.
This is easily a 10/10 effort, and I can foresee major rotation through my playlists for the next few months. Now for them to announce a UK tour, eh?
