SOILWORK

The Panic Broadcast

"The Panic Broadcast" is the latest offering (and 8th studio disc) from Melodic Death Metal veterans Soilwork, and it is exactly what their fans have been waiting for. Not only has it been three years since "Sworn to the Great Divide," this collection features the return of founder and original guitarist Peter Wichers to the fold. It is also the recording debut of Sylvain Coudret (of Scarve fame) on guitar.

The disc opens with a song guaranteed to make you start your hair whipping, head shaking, and in general getting your blood flowing and heart pumping. 'Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter' kicks off with a killer riff and rolls from there. The band is hungry and determined… and it shows! After the opener slams the door open, the guitar work in 'Two Lives Worth of Reckoning' takes the album to the next level, in addition to the Bjorn Strid's tight vocals. The album moves fluidly into 'The Thrill' which really showcases the vocal abilities of lead singer Strid. The album’s production seems to shine here, but fret not, as the whole album is pleasing to the ears.

'Deliverance Is Mine' is a nice piece of aggression highlighted by strong timekeeping from Dirk Verbeuren on drums. You can feel him pounding the hell out of his drum heads on the pre-chorus (excellent use of timing here) and chorus. Throughout the album Wichers demonstrates what makes him an excellent guitarist and this song is no different when he tears off an incredible solo. Every song also features strong playing from bassist Ola Fink and Keyboardist Sven Karlsson, and this is no exception.

My personal fav, 'Night Comes Clean' seems to have all of the key ingredients for a hit song, if this were to be played on mainstream radio stations. Strong clean vocals mixed with aggression when needed. Additionally, Dirk smashes through some great time changes and drum fills with extraordinary rhythm and use of cymbals. Dirk and Peter duet nicely on drums and guitars throughout 'King of the Threshold.' If I had to pick a weak song on the disc, this would be it, as it is nothing out of the ordinary for this genre of music. One of Dirk Verbeuren's favorite tracks, 'Let This River Flow' helps steer the album back on track with inspiring vocals from Strid and awesome production from Wichers. The vocals really shine on this track thanks to great singing and production. This song is strong from first note to last.

The chugging riff, bass line and drums kick 'Epitome' of in the right direction. This song lends itself to the history of Soilwork without losing what they have accomplished in the years that have passed. This same sentiment holds true for the next track, 'The Akuma Afterglow.' A solid tune with great rhythm, vocals and lyrics, and solid playing from all members of the band. The album (excluding bonus tracks on various releases) closes out with the moving track 'Enter Dog of Pavlov.' The music lulls you into a sense of security and rocks you gently into a killer sound that makes you want to get up and mosh (trust me - hard to fight the urge here in the accounting office). Strid lashes out and lets you know they are taking no prisoners in these final 5-1/2 minutes of the disc. The Soilwork machine is firing on all 6 cylinders here. Every facet of the tune makes this song the perfect bookend as compared to the opening track.

This CD is exactly what metalcore and death metal fans wanted. This disc is full of chunky yet flowing and powerful riffs along with a strong rhythm line and a mixed bass/keyboard sound that help carry the songs along. Dirk Verbeuren plays the drums in a way that makes you want to learn to play. The vocals seem to transcend most of the genre’s contemporaries and the production that brings out the technical abilities of each member of the band.

If you love the band, you NEED this CD. If you like the band, you should have this CD. If you are new to the heavy stuff, this is a GREAT place to start.

Todd Jolicouer

Read Todd's interview with Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren here