The Living Infinite

Everyone likes it when a well established band with a prototypical authentic sound goes overkill. Could Soilwork deliver way too much genuine Soilwork all at once ? This is it. It isn't a band running out of ideas and covering up for mediocre content with an overwhelming format, in this case a full double album. This is a legitimate Soilwork open buffet for the listener to absolutely pig out, or more eloquently put, to go on a binge quest that will definitely put any notion of the band weakening to sleep.

As the listener, we're spoiled and given the full repertoire of Soilwork goodness. Amazingly, every song actually feels different and carries an original idea at its core. As if the band hadn't already released a bunch of albums with consistently great choruses, they come out and release this thing, a double album that's basically a wide collection of hooks. As every track ends, there's a strong sentiment that it was top notch and surely a highlight, but then the next song starts and it's as promising and then the chorus hits and it's just fabulous stuff.

What's more, one of the band's more reprehensible aspects and biggest Achilles heel had been mediocre verses that were at one point laughable ('Sworn' album), or at very least innocuous bits before the dominant choruses finally arrived. This criticism would not even apply to this as the verses are genuinely fresh and not at all formulaic. There's a whole array of totally different verses, and this gives the songs more separation from one another. Of course there's a common style there, but the verses are simply not repeating themselves as would be surely expected for a double album, at this point late in the band's discography.

So every single part throughout all of the twenty songs is good ? Pretty much, yes. Then it's up to the listener's particular leaning in taste to appreciate certain songs more than others. Certain songs have more of a bright outlook to them, others are a little dark, while some are more melancholic. All highly melodic though. Some choruses have a pleasant easy-to-listen-to feel to them, although never commercial sounding, while others are more of the epic, intense variety ('Spectrum of Eternity', 'The Living Infinite I', 'Long Live the Misanthrope', 'The Living Infinite II' or the gorgeous ensuing instrumental track, and the super emotional one after that 'Rise Above the Sentiment').

Musically, the melodeath lead-oriented component is here in full effect, and at times reminiscent of old Soilwork, as on 'This Momentary Bliss' with its iconic harmonized twin-lead melody, or Track 1 on CD2 'Long Live the Misanthrope'. This album really is stylistically similar to 'The Panic Broadcast', just a lot catchier and generally simply better. This means the keys are again quite discreet here, and the days of prominent synth Soilwork are no more. As on that last record, the band sacrifice sheer atmosphere and or any trace of that sort of futuristic/sci-fi edge from 'Natural Born Chaos', for a more organic sound focused on the guitars. There are acoustic guitars on here as well occasionally, as is highlighted in the particularly beautiful 'Antidotes in Passing' which uses them as a main component for the song. And on this topic, the outro to that song is utterly magnificent. Simple as can be, but plain moving.

Production wise this album is like an improved version of the previous album. It follows that same direction of tight, super precise production, but where 'Panic' might've been a little aseptized if not almost cold in that regard, this album here breathes life and sounds virtually perfect. No need to get into the details of it. Every instrument is at its optimal level of clarity.

Pardon my french, but in conclusion, this is mighty, mighty fine music. It would take quite a difficult (and perhaps snobby) person to lash out at this. For what this album is about, and sets out to get done, which isn't the simplest of tasks, it's basically flawless.
Also, it's fucking awesome.