Between 2000 and 2005 Soilwork had an absolutely incendiary run of albums beginning with ‘A predator’s portrait’ and concluding with ‘stabbing the drama’. This is not to denigrate the fine work the band achieved elsewhere, but those four albums saw Soilwork define and then refine their signature sound, a face-melting mix of industrial strength metal and a strong, infinitely memorable melodic edge, to a razor sharp point. Subsequent albums were by no means disappointing, but they felt as if the band had, perhaps, slipped just a touch too far into their comfort zone, whereas ‘the ride majestic’ sees the band pushing at every conceivable boundary and delivering some of their finest work yet in the process.
It’s not easy, of course, to maintain forward momentum over such a lengthy career, and it’s not so much a criticism of ‘the living infinite’ and ‘sworn to the great divide’, both fine albums, as it is a reflection of the inherent strength of the new material to state that Soilwork sound more vital than ever on this, the band’s tenth album since their inception in 1995. Opening with the furious title track, the band take the listener by the hand with some beautiful guitar work before tearing into the body of the song with unprecedented vigour. Produced by David Castillo ‘the ride majestic’ sounds immense, with the guitars of Sylvain Coudret and David Andersson neatly intertwining around one another over Dirk Verbeuren’s ferocious percussive bombs. The star of the show, however, is surely Bjorn ‘speed’ Strid (the only member remaining from 1995), whose voice veers majestically from soaring melodies to scarifying screams with enviable ease. It’s a powerful opening gambit and it sees Soilwork doing very much what they do best, highlighting that they have lost none of their remarkable gift for melding huge melodies with the most crushing of metal. Keeping the momentum, ‘alight in the aftermath’ is a symphonic lightning bolt, but, just when you’ve got it straight in your mind, the song moves through a number of incongruously progressive moments that set this apart from Soilwork’s past work and draws parallels with one-time mentor Devin Townsend. Taking a moment to build as the band continue to explore a wider sonic territory than in past efforts, ‘Death in general’ emerges as a moody, intelligently arranged belter that combines the irresistible rush of metal with the more cerebral fare of progressive rock. It proves to be one of Bjorn’s finest vocal performances and the huge melodies that hook the listener from the off make this the perfect choice for a single. ‘Enemies in fidelity’ showcases a lighter touch as the band slowly ease the listener into the track before a metronomic beat drags it all to hell and the band dish out some of the thrashiest riffs they’ve yet deployed. That essential melodic component is still there, of course, and Bjorn is once again singing at his very best, but it’s juxtaposed with some of soilwork’s most incisively heavy material. ‘Petrichor by sulphur’ sees nimble guitars set against a thuggish rhythm section, the band easily moving between tempos and riffs to great effect and, again, one can’t help but be reminded of Devin Townsend’s epic musical exertions, so dextrous are the changes employed by Soilwork here. In contrast, ‘The phantom’ offers fewer contortions, preferring to pummel the listener into submission, but it’s an effective battering and the melodic choruses keep things varied and always memorable.
The halfway point of the album is marked by ‘the ride majestic (aspire angelic)’, a searing number that is typified by exceptional guitar work (particularly the fluid soloing flows through the latter stages of the song) and Bjorn’s stunning vocal exertions. A slow burning number, ‘Whirl of pain’ builds a vicious head of steam as the band pour on riff after molten riff. ‘All along echoing paths’ proves to be a brutal assault that sees Soilwork heading into a glam-infused stomp through death metal territory, pitching huge drum patterns against some wonderfully intricate guitar work whilst, cruising in on a lighter note, we get ‘shining lights’ which opens quietly but wrong-foots the listener by taking a heavier path when its least expected. For those with the standard (jewel case edition) the album ends with the eerie strains of ‘father and son, watching the world go down’, a storming track that emerges from horror-movie atmospherics only to develop into a metallic epic shot through with a melodic edge that recalls Tears for fears. It provides a fitting conclusion to an album that sees the band repeatedly pushing outside of their comfort zone and the band have done a fantastic job of upping the ante not just in terms of pure naked aggression but also in terms of soaring melody. For those with the special, digi-pack edition, there are two bonus tracks. The first is ‘of hollow dreams’ which packs a fearsome, thrash-infused punch whilst ‘ghosts and thunder’ shifts gear from haunting ballad to rage-addled behemoth, closing the album with an emotionally charged beast that is more than worth the extra few pennies spent on the special edition.
I’ve long been a fan of soilwork and it’s rewarding, as a fan, to see the band pushing the boundaries to such an extent. Although the whole album is impressively consistent, the highlights include the mighty ‘petrichor by sulphur’ and the convoluted rage of ‘alight in the aftermath’, both of which see a band really exploring their many talents. The whole band put in a towering performance, but Bjorn Strid must surely be the star of the show, his dizzying vocal performance never failing to impress whether he’s unleashing that epic roar of his or indulging in the most mellifluous of harmonies. I enjoyed both ‘the living infinite’ and ‘sworn to the great divide’, but this truly is a step up form both of those albums and it marks soilwork out as innovators once more. The ride majestic’ is a soaring triumph from these masters of melodic metal and one that, by rights, should see them gain even more devoted followers.
