Exile

Soilwork already lost their last bits of credibility with the release of the „Stabbing the Drama“ promo sampler, but “Exile” is definitely a new low in a career that has been going down the drain for a long time. After the release of my favourite Soilwork album (“A Predator’s Portrait” the band changed directions, showing simplified songwriting and a slight pop/rock influence which increased steadily with the release of every subsequent album. When I heard that their new single and video “Exile” was out, I decided to check it out, not hoping for a good listen, but expecting a horrid piece of typical modern Soilwork. Due to these low expectation, I wasn’t disappointed in the least, but I never thought that they could top “Stabbing the Drama” in crappiness.

Riff- and structure wise, “Exile” is the most simplified song in Soilwork’s career. The metal influence, which was once the band’s core, is almost completely gone, replaced by a fluffy guitar tone reminiscent of Nickelback and similar modern rock artists. The lead guitars are no better and if you’ve seen the video, it clearly shows how the guitarists try to play the worst way possible – it looks like they’re trying to hold themselves back from showing their (without a doubt existing) talent.

Bass isn’t worth mentioning, as it’s not exactly audible and only seems to follow the guitars anyway.

The drumming isn’t any better, especially when considering that Dirk Verbeuren has reclaimed his place behind the kit. He’s also claimed the modern rock territory his own by now, the only exceptions being one or two doublebass sections here and there.

One thing that is a tad less annoying than before is Björn’s clean singing. He doesn’t whine nearly as much as in the previous album’s tracks but doesn’t reach the level of quality he achieved back in “A Predator’s Portrait” and “Natural Born Chaos”. Sadly, his growl has completely disappeared by now and he doesn’t even go deep anymore, he sounds like your typical hardcore shouter here, which is another sad reminder of Soilwork’s evolution in the last few years.

Overall, I can only recommend this demo to people like me, who are simply amused by the fact that they were once fans of this crappy modern rock band. All others, stay away and listen to Nickelback instead.