Soilwork - The Living Infinite - review
Soilwork - The Living Infinite - review
Tracklist
Disc I01. 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
A review by
Dane Train March 12, 2013
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.
Written on 12.03.2013 by
Written on 12.03.2013 by
Dane hails from Asheville, NC which is Beer City, USA. When he is not drinking various craft and micro brews, Dane fronts the Stoner Doom Metal band, The Quick. He also has a massive collection of Hellboy comic books. Comments
Comments:
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Posts: 33  |
Posts: 33
Solid review... unfortunately. I started listening to it 3 times, I couldn't finish once. Almost fell asleep few times...
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Posts: 57  |
Posts: 57
Agreed. Don't understand why people are calling this a masterpiece. It's not bad, it's not great. I've yet to get through the whole thing too.
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Posts: 1122
Actually there are minor but fitting variations to the formula you refer to. They just tend to drown into the mass of generic growly-verse-and-melodic-chorus patterns, and pointing this out is the biggest merit of this review. Stirring things up for like three songs in a total of twenty is really not enough, even if it was played well like on this album.
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Posts: 1239  |
Posts: 1239
Agree with you on this one. I think it's a fairly good album; surely their best since NBC. It's very generic (not copying other bands really, but more a copying of themselves). Many nice tunes if you listen to them by themselves, but as an album it is clearly lacking.
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Posts: 168  |
Posts: 168
I love this album, but then again I'm not a big Gothenburg fan and I started listening to this band in 2005 when Stabbing the Drama came out. Never really took the time to listen to their earlier albums but now I feel like I should.
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Posts: 9581
Why is there two discs? No one can even finish the first. Terrible, terrible album, definately the worst I've heard all year.
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Posts: 100  |
Posts: 100
"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." Yeah, you pretty much nailed it. Nice review.
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Posts: 78  |
Posts: 78
I disagree with the review. I've been listening to them for over fifteen years, and yes, I got a little tired of their formula, especially, they're last few albums. But something about this album really grabs me. Yes, there are the true and tried formula songs throughout the album. But I feel they are intermingled with experimental and more complex songs, especially on the second disc. I hear a lot of people saying they only get half way through the first disc and give up and than vocalize their opinion. I suggest they listen to the whole album (both discs) and than form an opinion. Also, take a look at the lyrics. They're great! While I wouldn't say this is a "masterpiece", I do think it is one of their best albums to date and one of the best of the year. Highly enjoyable. While a bit formulaic, it is done so well, and the variations that they do, creates a great album.
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Posts: 164  |
Posts: 164
I think this is a decent Gothenburg album, but it's way too long! How could they came up with so many songs in just a few years? Did they choose quantity over quality? Not any metal band I know would release a double album unless it's a compilation.
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Posts: 100 Written by blackmamba on 14.03.2013 at 05:15 What is it with this album that makes people that like it react so badly to unimpressed reviews? This site, Angry Metal Guy and Metal Sucks published "meh" reviews of this, and the comments are filled with that kind of reaction. So chill guys, "it takes all kinds" and all that stuff... I know I can live with people not loving DsO's Drought as much as I do.
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Posts: 40071 Written by Qube on 15.03.2013 at 23:21 Same here, I think it's a great e.p. But I don't go crying my eyes out and being angry at people who find it mediocre or even bad.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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Posts: 18619 Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 17.03.2013 at 15:39 Ah good, I thought I couldn't stay at your house for thinking it was mediocre. Man, what were those french guys smoking...
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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Posts: 40071 Written by X-Ray Rod on 17.03.2013 at 16:27 That's not a reason for letting you sleep on the street, but you being a Kent, Lifelover, Alcest fanboy however is...
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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Posts: 40071
OKay enough off-topoicness, back to Soilwork's latest... Haven't heard it, yet, so I cannot pass any judgement on it.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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Posts: 32  |
Posts: 32
Hey guys my girlfriend and I are going to a soilwork show, what are some of the songs I should know ?
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Posts: 82  |
Posts: 82
I agree with the review The songs are fine, pretty catchy, not too brutal but just as we're used from Soilwork. It is the length of the album that throws me off. I can't finish it. It's just too much. Although I adore Dirk Verbeurens drumming on Spectrum of Eternity. That is the one standout song.
---- Druantia | Folk metal
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Posts: 124  |
Posts: 124
I really like this album. I've listened all the way through a few times(through both discs). It's not the best Soilwork album I've ever heard, but I found it to be extremely catchy and worthy of many listens. The album prior to this one (The Panic Broadcast) is still my favorite out of all their work post-Natural Born Chaos.
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Posts: 49 |
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Posts: 770
I totally agree about the review of the band, but, where is the album's review? It is almost not even mentioned in the review. For me this is a terrible album. And I saw a viewer rating of 8.4 and a review that in some way pushes up the album without even mentioning it! Seriously, apart for originality etc, can the songwriting of this be compared with early Soilwork or their gold mid-era? Wtf....
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