Band:	Soilwork
Album:	The Living Infinite
Style:	Gothenburg metal
Release date:	February 27, 2013
A review by:	Dane Train

Disc I
01. Spectrum Of Eternity
02. Memories Confined
03. This Momentary Bliss
04. Tongue
05. The Living Infinite I
06. Let The First Wave Rise
07. Vesta
08. Realm Of The Wasted
09. The Windswept Mercy [feat. Justin Sullivan]
10. Whispers And Lights

Disc II
01. Entering Aeons
02. Long Live The Misanthrope
03. Drowning With Silence
04. Antidotes In Passing
05. Leech
06. The Living Infinite II
07. Loyal Shadow
08. Rise Above The Sentiment
09. Parasite Blues
10. Owls Predict, Oracles Stand Guard

Soilwork is a one trick pony. They do that trick really well...but it is still only one trick. Here is where both the strength and the weakness in this album rests. Their use of melodic death metal style verses offset with a more power metal chorus is catchy and down right fun at times. This formula is what Soilwork is know for and rightfully so; they are masters of it. There is not a song on this album that could be called weak yet none of them stand out. They all sound like Soilwork songs. There is very little difference between the songs here. With each one averaging about 4 minutes in length it is hard to tell them apart. The formula is the biggest downside here. They never stray from it and play if safe from start to finish.

So how do I feel about it?

Well, on one hand I really like the classic Soilwork sound. It has never been a mind blowing or genre changing sound, but it has always been enjoyably fun to listen to. I have some fond memories of taking breaks from writing paper in college to rock out to Figure Number Five with my dorm mates. These guys write some really catchy riffs and delightfully bouncy chorus hooks while having some memorable guitar solos work. I love driving around in the summer time with the windows down singing the choruses at the top of my lungs. The alternating heavy/soft elements make Soilwork a great "gateway" band for many new comers to Metal. They're good enough that I would never call them a guilty pleasure, but never good enough to change my outlook on music. They're a comfort band. They are the Chinese take out of the Metal scene.

On the other hand, too much Chinese food will give you irritable bowl syndrome and turn you into captain gravy butt. And that is how I feel about this album. It was the same thing over and over again. I had to stop halfway through and listen to some Om and Place Of Skulls for a while. No matter how good their style is, if that is all there is, you'll get sick of it too. By the forth song I could tell exactly where each transition in the song was going to be. Double bass in three...two...one. Go! Catchy sing-along chorus in three...two...one. Sing! That should be the basis for a game show!

If this record had more variation on it I would have so much happier with it. Even if that variation wasn't very good. Just something different. So if you're a fan of Soilwork , or even the Gothenburg scene, check the album out. This is no masterpiece of the genre like Slaughter of the Soul nor is it a pile of excreted beef lo-mien like A Sense of Purpose. This is a middle of the road record. It knows what it does well and does it.