Soilwork was first formed in 1995, then named Inferior Breed. Back then their sound was more in the vain of bands like Pantera and Machine Head. But in 1996 they changed their name, and the attitude. They released to albums for Listenable Records, before Nuclear Blast signed them. The band then got their break-through with the critically acclaimed "A Predator's Portrait". The band is now established as one of the leading acts in the so called Gothenburg sound/NWOSDM, alongside fellow Swedish bands like In Flames, Arch Enemy and Gardenian.

THE CHAINHEART MACHINE (1999, 2000) CENTURY MEDIA

Soilwork's second album starts with a bang! The title track is the perfect example of how this style of music should be played. It's almost like the ultimate melodic death metal tune. And the rest of the album is great too. I can see how this band soon became the crown prince of the NWOSDM movement (In Flames will always be the king). Speed is the keyword, as well as timing. I love the short breaks they put in every now and then. Gotta love the guitar-solos too. Soilwork are one of the few bands in this genre that let the keyboard play such an important role in the overall sound. My only complaint here have to be that the songs sound a little too much like each other. If they had cross faded the tracks, you might not even have noticed the change of tracks. Still, a solid album indeed! My version is a re-release on Century Media. It was originally released on Listenable Records the year before. Oh, following a 2-3 minute silence after the final track, there is a sound of a machine-heart pumping!?! This album is supposedly a conceptin album about the chainheart machine, whatever the heck that is?!?

Killer tracks: Chainheart Machine, Millionflame, Spirit Of The Future Sun, Room No. 99

A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT (2001) NUCLEAR BLAST

This was to be the Swedes big break-through, and the first album one on Nuclear Blast. The formula is pretty much unaltered, so if you liked their previous releases, you're bound to love this one as well. It's also a step up production-wise. I can't seem to get enough of this kind of music. Fast riffs, melodic breaks and aggressive vocals. Put together by a bunch of musicians with the know-how, enthusiasm and love for great metal! A must!

Killer tracks: Bastard Chain, Like The Average Stalker, Grand Failure Anthem, Shadowchild

FIGURE NUMBER FIVE (2003) NUCLEAR BLAST (Special Limited Edition 2CD)

'Figure Number Five' sees the band venture into even more melodic sound. Yet with the same heavy production. I always felt that Megadeth tried to commercialize their sound according to the success of Metallica. And I kind off get the same feeling here. The success of In Flames' 'Reroute To Remain', an album that saw them move onto a more mainstream path, sounding a tad closer to the nu-metal bands that rule the charts these days, might just have triggered this change in Soilwork too. This can be a result of the record labels wishes, or it could be a result of what the band want to sound like. It still leaves a hint of foul taste in my mouth. I must say it took me a while to get used to 'Figure Number Five'. The immediate whiplash factor was not present. Now I've come to like the album, but it's not my favorite CD by them. The bonus disc included with this album contains the band's original demo, 'In Dreams We Fall In The Eternal Lake', and two pre-'Steelbath Suicide' demos. The song "Wake Up Call" is actually the original version of the song "Demon In Veins".

Killer tracks: Rejection Role, Overload, Brickwalker

STABBING THE DRAMA (2005) NUCLEAR BLAST (Limited Edition)

I guess not all bands can be on top of their game at all time. I'm not sure that if it is the change in Soilwork that I dislike the most, or if it is my lack of interest in the band ever since their last album that is throwing me for a loop here. Either way, I cannot say that 'Stabbing The Drama' is doing much for me. This is yet another venture into a more modern sounding style. I guess I'd call it a cross between aggro-metal, nu-metal, and the Gothenburg sound. It all just melts together, forming this homogeneous mass, until all the tracks sound the same. By far the bands less interesting album. My limited edition digi-pack comes with a bonus track.