I don't know why I bother. It seems the bigger the record company, the less information I am getting when receiving their albums for review. And they don't come much bigger than Nuclear Blast. The only thing I received is the music, so any information I need to look for I need to look up myself. Thankfully I am no slouch when it comes to the internet (all that porn surfing is finally serving its purpose), so I get along. Plus, I have been following SOILWORK in the past. I must admit that for the last few years I lost track. Ehm, make that 12 years, as the last album I listened to was " The Panic Broadcast".

So, you can imagine what a major musical upset it was when I started to listen to their latest offering called "Övergivenheten". I had to double check if it is still the same band. And lo and behold, it is. So, the big question to me wasn't whether or not I thought that SOILWORK had produced another great slab of manicured aggression, but more if I would agree with their current musical direction. And I am glad to report that I do enjoy this album. "Övergivenheten" harbours both the old-fashioned fast, furious and heavy elements, but they have been interwoven with Melodic Metal and even some AOR elements throughout the album.

That's more than okay, as the quality of the songs are all way above par, as I expect from these guys. I like the face that on a massive song like "Electric Again", one of the most important solo's is done in a way that it sounds like a violin. I can also say that SOILWORK  is impressive in the softer department as well, as "Morgongåva/Stormfågel" can easily rival bands like RAINBOW and such. I must say that the way that "Nous Sommes la Guerre" is built up, a lot of Melodic Rock/AOR bands would wish they could bring this in such an outstanding manner. Oh, and the fact it sounds a lot like SAVATAGE doesn't hurt either.

So, there you have it. Although this was certainly not what I expected from SOILWORK, I can only conclude that with "Övergivenheten" they once again have proven that they know how to bring quality to the masses. There aren't that any bands that have made the transition into another musical bracket wit success. I'm glad that SOILWORK are one of the bands that are succeeding. It will be interesting to see where they go from here. Until that time, I will certainly enjoy "Övergivenheten".