The new Soilwork album - Sworn to a Great Divide

[horns666]

"Emo", "Pantera"...ect ect..C'mon guys..seriously.

This is Soilwork..they've been playin' around with clean vocals since 2001..over seven years ago. At that time "emo" was still in a test tube. Popular American bands such as KSE wouldn't exist including some bands here Bed OF Nails, Under Eden other melodic/death/thrash/ that were heavily into Sweden worship before it was a popular thing here...now, the gothenburg sound is now beat to death and milked dry..where did Soilwork have to go. They had to distance themselves from a genre they help create..because they are not a emo- core metal core band in the slight. They've become much more melodic to be more assesbile..which worked for them..they're making a little $$ now...but they're still deeply rooted in "metal"..they walked they line with dignity without selling out. Like In Flames did with STTYE..that was a boo boo with their bad Korn impression. They didn't recover from that yet. They got a lot of shit for that one and rightly so.

Pantera..the only similarity is a hrash powerful vox style. Pantera didn't invent that. In fact Phil Anselmo was more Halford-eque before CBFH..which is still present w/ "Shattered".

Remember your roots..or at least know the scence in general.

Bands like Darkane, The Haunted Soilwork, In flames..an yada...have evolved from the their heavier past..but they had to. Way Too many copies to the point of parody.

Ok, I gotta go..fuck typos..you deal with 'em.

[Sunbane]

I think Soilwork's singer is rather skillful and having leads or not doesn't matter imo, it's just music good or bad

I agree, but Soilwork could just drop a lot of their leads, and the songs themselves wouldn't suffer much. To me, those leads become redundant elements in the song - stuff that will feel like "filler".

Rhythm is what the SW guys do best. They're right up there with Arch Enemy - high class stuff that pummels your brain without mercy.

SW's singer does have skills no doubt, but he's only really good doing the gritty voice IMO. His clean voice sounds solid enough, but it is monotonous...indifferent. He doesn't put his soul into them, so the clean parts just feel like they dilute the music. And I'm usually all for varied singing too.

But if it works for you - good for you!

[horns666]

I was introduced to SW in 2000 w/ TCHM..They been one of my faves since. Along with all the NWOSD bands. They were losing me as well w/ the clean vocals...but Strid improved with that.

I'll elaborate later..I'm going to punched my wife in the pants.

[Inazone]

I don't think it's the clean vocals that bother so much as the dumbing down of the guitars. Oh, and Soilwork's *lyrics* are awful! But hey, that's nothing new.

A lot of the melodic death metal bands started sounding a little too upbeat for me I guess. Even though long-time fans may not agree with me, I thought that Hypocrisy's Virus and Dissection's Reinkaos were great. I just picked up Devian's Ninewinged Serpent, which is pretty decent. Haven't heard the new Dimension Zero; Silent Night Fever was awesome, but This is Hell didn't quite measure up.

[horns666]

I don't think it's the clean vocals that bother so much as the dumbing down of the guitars. Oh, and Soilwork's *lyrics* are awful! But hey, that's nothing new.

A lot of the melodic death metal bands started sounding a little too upbeat for me I guess. Even though long-time fans may not agree with me, I thought that Hypocrisy's Virus and Dissection's Reinkaos were great. I just picked up Devian's Ninewinged Serpent, which is pretty decent. Haven't heard the new Dimension Zero; Silent Night Fever was awesome, but This is Hell didn't quite measure up.

Well, we are on the same page. I absolutely agree. ALOT of my favorite melodic death bands have lost their nuts...in hope of popularity. Most of the time, that usualy bites a band in the ass. Not just Swedish bands. Machine Head is a good example. Their debut "Burn my eyes" was cool in '94..but then they fagged it up and went NU..fuggums. Oh, but now they're back with "The Blackening"..and I say fuck you. That fuggin' album don't hold a candle to what has been going on in the real metal world. It's not a bad cd at all, in fact it's OK..but it ain't shit compared to the bands we both love that inspired our own shit...it's nothing we haven't done better...but they got the name.

About seven - eight years ago I wanted to bring a bit of Sweden to Cleveland. It was my intent..but more and more bands started to pop up that sounded like the shit I was going for..nice timing. Now, my shit is going to sound like everyone elses' shit. This wasn't the case in 2000/2001/2002/. 2003 was the beginning of the end for Rap/Nu "metal"..thank goodness. But, it was a double edged sword, because all of a sudden At The Gates became a real important band for the first time in the staes...and they've been dead for 12 years.

Wouldn't it been nice if Under Eden came out in 2002/2003. You wouldv'e stood out a hell of alot more, and I know this with my stuff. But since there was a melodic death tsunami..it's fucking overwhelming.

Let me tell you what I think about this popular "Emo" and "Core" stuff..It B-grade players emulating At The Gates, Soilwork, In Flames, Dark Tranq and etc..with a splash of Slayer/Pantera. ANY tone deaf, mediocre fuck could do it. It's the new "NU" with a black eyeliner, Beatle mop makeover. Recycled riffs overs bash beats with some fuck screaming incoherent crap..then the gooey chorus with all the gay brokeback bullshit....but hey, It's better than scratchin' records, posin' with yo possie, in baggy fubu-wear, trying to win the ebolympics.

No, Soilwork is not one of THOSE bands. Yes, they've dummied down but haven't forgot who they are or where they came from..In Flames did that once and it left a mark.

There is a AWESOME, funny Terror 2000 vid on youtube trashing Emo...I'll see if I can get it.

[horns666]

Strid says it all in this silly slideshow Terror 2000 video.. http://youtube.com/watch?v=nxtSIj8E9as

It hits the nail on the head...IMO!