Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast

Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast - the review

genre: Modern metal

release date : July 2010

tracklist:
1. Late For The Kill, Early For The Slaughter
2. Two Lives Worth Of Reckoning
3. The Thrill
4. Deliverance Is Mine
5. Night Comes Clean
6. King Of The Threshold
7. Let This River Flow
8. Epitome
9. The Akuma Afterglow
10. Enter Dog Of Pavlov
11. Sweet Demise - bonus track

In the last three years when the previous record "Sworn to a great divide" has released, more things happened. These personal changes are reflected
naturally to their music. The founding member Peter Wichers came back into the crew, his uncle Ola Frenning and temporary guitarist Daniel Antonsson left the band in 2008. The missing second guitarist were replaced by talented Sylvain Coudret from superb french progressive death metal act Scarve. Dirk Verbeuren, the active drummer of Soilwork plays also in that band. Peter Wichers took by composing material also the role of production and he deserves only praises for his work. In the beggining of album review I will write few lines of syllabus where Soilwork definetely disavowed from their orginal genre.

If you swallowed the taradiddles that this new record will be the best, and if you expect the return to the "A Predators Portrait" times, I warn, you will be dissapointed at all. When you have already lost all your hopes with abortive "Sworn to a Great Divide", good news is that on "The Panic Broadcast" you will get partially contentment. The raw comparison with previous records is not very objective , but we can say that they have dropped anchors somewhere in the waters between "Natural Born Chaos" and the "Figure Number Five". It is also wrong to compare e.g. "The Chainheart Machine" with "The Panic Broadcast" because these two records come under different genres where both can reach high quality status in own category. Often happens that bands try to develop themselves musically, lyrically somewhere else, doing compromises where they give space to actualize to every member, making experiments,etc...Soilwork escaped out of melodic death dimensions and joined more thrash metal sound. It was not a bad idea to bend off exactly when the genre became to be boring and all smart ideas were used. Another change, the new chapter began in the "Predators" ages. It was a decision to employ in Bjorns beautiful colour of voice in choruses. They have bet on the contrasts. Aggresive verses and melodic singing choruses, this is how it goes longer and it has success.

The Panic Broadcast - track by track:

"Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter" is the one of few promised tracks reminiscent the past of band.
It is clever idea to launch record with real fast energic figure with shower of Dirks blast beats and sharp thrash guitar riffs and catchy chorus. Dirk is very versatile drummer with excellent sense for coordination. Bjorns screaming in verses sounds like Tom Araya from Slayer, but it fits there like the thunder to the storm. Deep bows belongs mainly to the Sylvain and Peter. Guitar solos during the whole record are flawless, it is maybe the strongest drafter on record. Combination of emotive, impressive /Wichers/ fretboard melodies and fast and inventive patterns with disharmonic tone/Coudret/ are absolutely succeed.

And then the tempo is getting down to enliven the memories of early records with the striking force called "Two Lives Worth of Reckoning". This song suitable represents the new album /BTW it was right choice to offer this song first on band myspace site/ because it contains every tasteful ingrediency, and the guitar solo a lá "Bulletbeast" is fine breathtaking surprise.

Next song "The Thrill" is led by typically bluesy riffing conducted by master Wichers. I personally like when Speed is playing with his clean voice and Wichers is probably the supervisor. Devin Townsend voice consulting was not bad but Peters absence was listenable in vocals on previous record.

"Deliverance is Mine" will speak to the older fans again, owns only few seconds of melodic singing and pay attention on heavier sound. Expression of excellent progressive tendencies in song structure will refresh your begging melodic death metal ears. I don't doubt that this technical song is directed by Scarve members.

Slowdown brings another track "Night Comes Clean" in middle tempo mainly focused on melody. One of the reasons why this song was created was to show the colorful spectrum of Bjorns vocal chords.

Acceleration rises above the top in "King of the Threshold". Some riffs and guitar solo section can come attractive for the fan base of "The Chainheart Machine" times when goal was not to create songs with the most sweetest chorus. Whole song is interesting and sounds very decent aside.
But on the other hand I can't help myself I have a feeling that extremly fast parts are very forced. It is pragmatic, probably how to capture older fans who criticise the Soilwork modern metal. Instrumental battle with speed in the end is asking for the few seconds of calm in the form of acoustic guitar strumming and...

...it is transition to "Let This River Flow" which can be considered something similar to "Departure plan" from "Figure Number Five". It sounds very mediocre and average but on the other hand it have something magical inside /harmony, Bjorns voice/. Deeper growls, extreme drums pads and guitar riffs in the later second verse disturbs the atmosphere, does not fit there and it sounds unnaturally. There we can't talk about contrasts. If they wanted to do slow track they should have repeated the shape of mentioned "Departure Plan" or song "Dawn of it All" from Nuclear Blast Out of the Dark compilation.

"Epitome" sounds too much drab and belongs to the weaker compositions on the record. Somebody will maybe appreciate the brilliant singning achievement also in verses. Attention of advanced listener will stop at the keyboards and guitar leads in the interlude and by the riff which breaks the finish tape.

"The Akuma Afterglow" is the masterpiece with the most feelingful choruses on this record. It is opened by keyboard signature of Sven Karlsson, and it is pity that his work remains still in the background on this record. Second verse reversion is elegant and can leave impression very easily. I have written higher about typical soilworkers song contrasts. So this is the distinct example how it goes.

"Enter Dog Of Pavlov" is the most interesting piece on record, because they have chosen here the different approach of composing and creating structures influented by Dirk and Sylvain. First seconds are filled with resourceful clean guitar patterns that grade into melodic distortion guitar instrumental section slightly evokes me Cynic. Do you remember the "Spirits Of The Future Sun" from "The Chainheart Machine"? No these two are not similar I just compare them from the way of instrumental intro and transition to the song characteristics. I hope that this magnific ideas will go hand in hand and they will work with them on the next records. Who knows, maybe Soilwork will mutate into Scarvwork.


Best moments: The Akuma Afterglow, Enter Dog of Pavlov, The Thrill, Two Lives Worth of Reckoning

rating: 8/10