Scrolling through my iTunes library, cluttered with only the hottest, most mainstream artists of the day, such as everyone’s favorite extreme gothic metal band, Graveworm, I typically fail to come across many groups that I have ignored as thoroughly as the Swedish sextet of Soilwork (accidental alliteration accomplished). Having previously purchased only two songs from their 2005 album Stabbing the Drama, I had almost no incentive to sit down and listen to the 84-minute monstrosity that is The Living Infinite. That is, until I happened across the pre-release singles on YouTube.
After a cryptic circus tune of an intro, “Spectrum of Eternity” launches you into chaos when Björn Strid opens his almighty lungs and unleashes a scream reminiscent of Dani Filth’s (Cradle of Filth) — one that hits point-blank between singing and screaming, foreshadowing a monumental versatility that is only confirmed in “This Momentary Bliss.”
Following a catchy, melodic riff courtesy of guitarists Sylvain Coudret and David Andersson in this second single, Strid strides swiftly into the verses with a barrage of growls and screams — that admittedly veer a little too close to yells, sometimes — before pummeling into an adventure of a chorus, with the lyrics and the song in its entirety proving that ignorance is, indeed, not bliss. The optimistic mood here resembles that of the hopeful and inspiring final single, “Rise Above the Sentiment,”, but not before, oh, 15 other tracks, or so.
Ever skeptical that bands will release abysmal albums following a good single or two, I was shocked upon listening to the full two discs in my pajamas one Saturday afternoon. It was great. The very next track, “Tongue,” deserves as much attention as the singles. Strid’s choral lines, “The hated/see the light of day/and here comes the sane/They’re aching/once they were sacred/Search for forgiveness/forgetting their weakness/I do belong” perspire with positivity and redemption.
Karlsson’s gothic keyboard segment in “The Living Infinite I,” however, marks a mood shift to one of strife and desperation while “Realm of the Wasted” communicates a strong sense of solidarity, especially when Strid yells and screams “Build your own world/let go of their shield.” This tone carries on into “The Windswept Mercy,” where it is combined with a relaxing, casual rock sound which is only accentuated with Strid’s use of light, passive singing and a double negative in the chorus. The tone is then heard again through “Whispers and Lights,” a song whose verses contain a rhythm reminiscent of the grocery shopping music that managers of supermarkets like Giant so kindly play for their customers. Bassist Ola Flink and drummer Dirk Verbeuren adjust well to these softer tunes, further demonstrating Soilwork’s variety.
The feeling of solitude continues into Disc Two where it grows into one of loneliness. Soilwork shows their understanding of how structure can impact a song’s meaning with the repetition of the first verse in “Leech” at the end of the song, emphasizing the theme of the cyclicality of suffering. Although “Owls Predict, Oracles Stand Guard” seems to drag on and is a bit anticlimactic for a closer, the preceding tracks, “Rise Above the Sentiment” and “Parasite Blues,” bring back the optimism of earlier tracks while recognizing that there are always more obstacles to overcome.
The band is far from buried in the soil; The Living Infinite confirms the meaning of their name as Soilwork is, slowly but surely, “working from the ground up” to redefine melodeath as we know it.
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