[.ca] A Predators Portrait

Three times' a charm!:
Alas, it sometimes (certainly not often) seems to be the case that an artist's third album is their best. Metallica, with MASTER OF PUPPETS, immediately comes to mind for many people. However, just look at other bands: Iced Earth, with the great BURNT OFFERINGS; Arch Enemy with BURNING BRIDGES; Tool, with AENIMA (or, if you don't count OPIATE as an actual album, LATERALUS, equally terrific). So here it is the case again, with one of the most popular and sonically perfect of Sweden's melodeath bands, Soilwork, with the mighty A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT. The ten tracks on this album are ten of the best and most ferocious metal songs I have ever heard in my life. This is one of the most complete and well-rounded albums ever, as well; each song, in its own respect, is just PERFECT; not one of the songs is worth skipping over unless there is a specific one you're in the mood for. Bjorn "Speed" Strid's performance is at its best. This is the first album to really introduce his clean vocals, which are surprisingly clear and diverse (just as diverse, if not more, than his more well-known death metal rasps and growls). Just listen to "Neurotica Rampage," and gasp at his furious screams at the ending chorus - he drops his death metal rasp and simply SCREAMS...and it is brutal to hear. Then hear his performance on "Shadowchild," and be blown away forevermore by his singing. Also, be sure to listen to the title track - special guest backing vocals by the great Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth (with that haunting singing voice of his!). Henry Ranta is still one of my absolute favorite metal drummers. With eclectic (but precision) skill he lashes out and seems to destroy his set, maintaining rhythm with killer speed and complexity, yet creating mind-boggling extra noise that, had it not been performed, would have rendered the rhythm section into something fast but not particularly interesting. Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning simply SLAUGHTER on this album. If you're a person who's first getting into Soilwork through the great NATURAL BORN CHAOS, then forget how good you think the guitar duo was there. On A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT, they have endless leads and harmonies that rival even Arch Enemy and In Flames, pounding riffs that are like three-ton spiked balls being dropped on your house, and leads that can shred your ears to confetti...or lift you to the highest heavens. It's unfortunate that they have decided to be less of a guitar-driven group; this is one of their most powerful strengths - especially when they have back-to-back guitar solos. Best (heavy) riffs: "The Analyst" (during the verses - just try to tell me those riffs aren't infectious!), the title track, and "Neurotica Rampage." Best harmonized riffs: "Grand Failure Anthem," in the choruses - simply beautiful stuff. Ola Flink's bass, although barely taking any moments of real outstanding work, still provides an excellent backdrop to the guitar riffs and thickens the rhythm. Perhaps he is the only member of the band that does not stand out in one way or another. Finally, Carlos Holmberg proves to be a good, but not great, keyboardist. His contribution to Soilwork's sound is more of a textural process, adding to and nicely complementing the melodic side of their vicious sound. It would not be until NATURAL BORN CHAOS that the great Sven Karlsson (formerly of Evergrey) that keyboards became more of a prominent instrument in Soilwork's genre-bending sound. Still, Carlos was integral to Soilwork, and helped make this album perfect. Actually, wait...as I write this review, "Shadowchild" played on my CD player. I think this song deserves a mention of its own. Ultra-heavy riffs during the verses, and epic-feeling, mammoth harmonized melodies in the choruses, already make it good enough in itself. But it is also from Bjorn's soaring clean vocals in the chorus (where he chants, "Lead us...Shadowchild...soiled by your faith in disguise...shadowside...reflecting the eyes") that really drive this song to such sonic perfection. Just...never mind; I couldn't describe it better if I wanted to. Listen to it yourself and be blown away. So in a nutshell, A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT is as good as Soilwork has ever gotten. It is the absolute pinnacle of their powerful, dark, melodic, and ultra-heavy take on metal. And if you're new to melodic death metal, this definitely should be your first - or at least would be a perfect introduction. This is the cream of the, um, soil.

Sweet, Sweet Headbangin' Greatness!:
So far, I have worked my way backwards with my Soilwork cds. I started out with Figure Number Five, and, at the moment, I'm at A Predator's Portrait. All I have to say is that Soilwork has stayed my favorite band ever since I got FN5. Each song on this collection of perfection (hey, that rhymed) is a pulse-pounding rage of terror that is surrounded by a massacre of power and speed. Wow, that was really descriptive. But it really is a strong cd filled with great headbanging ability. It starts out with the fast "Bastard Chain," and it doesn't stop there, mainly because that's only one song. It goes onto great songs like "Needlefeast" (which has one of the greatest openings to a song, ever), "Neurotica Rampage," and my personal favorite, "Structure Divine." Other little samples of happiness on this cd are "Shadowchild" and "A Predator's Portrait." I love this cd so much that I can't help but get up and thrash my head around, wishing that I have longer hair. I highly recommend this cd and I think anyone who loves metal would love this cd, too. At least I hope so. Anyway, A Predator's Portrait will go down in history as one of my favorite cds.

SOILWORKS PRIDE COMES WITH PREDATORS PORTRAIT:
THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST SOILWORK ALBUM TO YET BE RELEASES, INFACT IT IS ONE OF THE BEST METAL CD'S EVER RELEASED PERIOD......SOILWORK HAS DEVELOPED THE PERFECT BLEND OF MELODY AND BONE CRUSHING RIFFS, ALONG WITH OUTSTANDING SOLO'S. APP IS AN ALBUM YOU CAN LISTEN TO, THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH, AND THEN START BACK OVER AGAIN.....YES, ITS THAT GOOD. HERES A LOOK AT THE ALBUM...SONG BY SONG 1) Bastard chain 8/10 - an excellent song to start the album, great melody, and very very fast. 2) Like the Average Stalker 10/10 - my 2nd favorite song on the album, excellent song, beautiful melody. 3) NeedleFeast 11/10 - simply put.....wow, from the beginning this song gets your blood pumping, without a doubt my favorite song on the album. 4) Neurotica Rampage - 8/10 - good song, heavy. One of my least favorites, but still good. 5) Analyst 8/10 - another good song 6) Grand Failure Anthem 9/10 - excellent song, heavy and a great solo. 7) Structure Divine 9/10 - once again, another greatly constructed metal piece by soilwork 8) Shadow Child 10/10 - my third favorite song on the album, the beginning of this song kicks ass, very heavy!! 9) Final Fatal Force 7/10 - my least favorite song on the album, but, as always, still good 10) Predators Portrait 10/10 - title track, awesome song, fast, furious, good solo, could have been longer though. 11) Asylum Dance 10/10 - again, one of my favorites on the CD, very melodic, has a sad tone to it almost, beautiful solo. IF YOU HAVENT HEARD THIS CD, OR ANY OF SOILWORKS OTHER CD'S I SUGGEST STARTING A COLLECTION!!! SOILWORK HAS ABSOLUTELY MOLDED MY TASTE AND VIEW OF METAL.

Gothenburg Sound Exemplified:
Soilwork made a quantum leap from The Chainheart Machine with this release. A Predator's Portrait marked the band's fledgling flirtation with clean vocals, an addiction that, IMHO, eventually ruined the band. On here, however, the soaring choruses to many of these songs are the perfect juxtaposition of beauty and fragility against a raging backdrop of heavy thrash guitars, pummeling doublebass drums, searing twin guitar melodies, and the harsh semi-death vocals of vocalist 'Speed' Strid. The music is not quite death metal, although a great deal of aesthetics point in that direction. The vocals and guitars just aren't heavy enough, I suppose. The album is stuck in a semi-thrash/heavy/groove area, with ambient keyboards and lush melodies pouring from every musical crevice. "Bastard Chain" is a piledriving melodic opener to the album. Devoid of clean vocals and consistent in its brutal pace, the song would not have been out of place on TCM or Steelbath Suicide, the debut. Only with the next song, my persoanl fave, "Like The Average Stalker," do things get interesting. The song moves slightly slower, and the melodic guitars breathe even more as the dual guitars of Wichers and Frenning wrap around the pleasure center of your brain. Speed uses this chance to unleash a taste of his clean singing as he sings the low-key chorus to the song. When the full-on Maidenisms of "Needlefeast" explode through the speakers, the gorgeous chorus is already expected. "Neurotica Rampage" should be noted just for the excellent keyboard work and amazing solo. "The Analyst" is a slower, experimental track with an unusual chorus. "Shadowchild" boasts another great chorus, while both "Grand Failure Anthem" and "Structure Divine" have even more tasty guitarwork and Henry Ranta's drumming pummels all. "Final Fatal Force" is my least favorite, and just fails to stand out. The title track is amazing, not just for its excellent lead melody and effectively speedy drumwork, but for its doomy chorus with guest vocals from Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt up against Speed's harsh shrieks. My personal copy does not have "Asylum Dance," but I hear good things, so pick up a version with that song added. Although some prefer the straightforward Maiden-on-crack-meets-Dark Tranquility sound of In Flames, Soilwork deliver a powerful melodic punch that is still very aggressive as well as accessible. A Predator's Portrait is a shining example of what the Gothenburg sound was before experimentation ground to a halt and the style devoured itself.

A Predator's Portrait:
Wow. This is one of the best Melodic Death Metal Albums I've heard ever. APP is Soilwork's 3rd release. I think soilwork's musical career if graphed, makes a mountain with this cd being the peak. It went uphill to this then downhill after this unfortunatly...But anyway about the album. The first song, Bastard Chain sucks you in and doesnt let go untill the cd is over. There is not one dull song. APP combines the perfect amount of elements needed for a good melodic death metal record...speed, musicianship, melodic vocals and leads, a technical yet musical drummer and solos. This cd portrays each of those and does it well. Nice work Soilwork...now if only you would have stayed like this... Best Song: Needlefeast One Word Review: Innovative

	Custom Search