|
By JEFF MAKI
Soilwork, once a upcoming and innovative band in the Swedish metal scene seemed ready for a possible breakthrough with this release, but this material is average at best on Stabbing The Drama. This does not sound like the same band who released Natural Born Chaos, or even their last effort, Figure Number Five.
Soilwork were always great at combining heaviness, atmosphere and melody and producing some of the most original music on the scene. But for some reason a lot of this is gone from Stabbing The Drama. There are basically no guitar harmonies, or atmospheric keyboards, for which the band became known for. Instead they offer up a straight forward thrash/rock type of release that seems more aimed at a mainstream audience then anything else. The first few tracks are actually very good and had my hopes up for a stellar release. The title track is probably the strongest on the disc and is closest to what Soilwork had been all about. "One With The Flies" is perhaps some of the heaviest material the band has recorded, but after these first few tracks you've basically heard it all. The songs that make up the rest of this release follow with the same suit and formula and around the middle of the album it gets very tiring. Songs do not at all stand out from one another and sound repetitive. Solos, harmonies and keyboards are far and few between and the album overall is just very plain. This release does not come close to the depth and originality of previous efforts. Here's hoping that Soilwork are just experimenting and return more to their original sound with their next release. |
