Soilwork - The Panic Broadcast

Release Date: July 13, 2010
Label: Nuclear Blast Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Late for the Kill, Early for the
     Slaughter 
2.  Two Lives Worth of Reckoning 
3.  The Thrill 
4.  Deliverance Is Mine 
5.  Night Comes Clean 
6.  King of the Threshold 
7.  Let This River Flow 
8.  Epitome 
9.  The Akuma Afterglow 
10.  Enter Dog of Pavlov 

Total playing time:  47:46

July 18, 2010

Reviewer: Roswell47

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*Comments:

"Consider me dead if that's what you want" is the first line out of Bjorn Strid's mouth on Soilwork's newest release, The Panic Broadcast.  That's exactly what many old Soilwork fans have been doing since hearing Soilwork's recent string of weak albums.  When taken out of the context of the rest of the song's lyrics, this line can seem like a defiant challenge to all of the Soilwork shit-talkers out there.  (Although I highly doubt that is Soilwork's intention.)  The return of former guitarist / songwriter Peter Wichers on The Panic Broadcast gives old Soilwork fans a reason for some cautionary hope that the album will return the band to its former greatness.  So should old fans still consider this band dead?  Does The Panic Broadcast deliver?  Well...sort of.

Along with the return of Wichers, the band is also bringing back some of their old style and blending it with their newer sound while also tossing in a little experimentation along the way.  Soilwork is still using its recent mainstream metal style as the foundation for its sound.  The catchiness and the big choruses found on Sworn to a Great Divide run amok throughout The Panic Broadcast.  These choruses work really well in "Two Lives Worth of Reckoning," "The Thrill," and to a lesser extent in "Deliverence is Mine."  However, "Night Comes Clean" has such a simultaneously quirky and catchy chorus, that it ends up being just plain annoying.  Unfortunately, it's hard to get that pesky chorus out of your head.  Most of the songs on The Panic Broadcast will be stuck in your head for days, whether you like it or not.  As for the return of Soilwork's old sound, it is mostly evident in the faster tempos of some of the songs and in the return of ripping guitar leads.  "Late For the Kill, Early for the Slaughter" and "King of the Threshold" both feature some of Soilwork's fastest parts since The Chainheart Machine.  It's too bad that these songs don't quite match the actual aggression from that era.  The traded solos between Wichers and newcomer Sylvain Coudret are another returning aspect from Soilwork's glory days.  Practically every song has excellent solos, the likes of which we haven't heard since Natural Born Chaos.  The previously mentioned experimentation appears in various spots on the album, but it is most evident in the sugary sounds of "Let This River Flow" and the slow ballad feel of "Epitome" which actually works surprisingly well in a soulful Devin Townsend sort of way.

The combination of Soilwork's recent mainstream sounds, the occasional old-style tempos and shredding guitar work, and the experimentation makes The Panic Broadcast an album with something for everyone.  In turn, it also means that there's probably something for everyone to dislike too.  It is doubtful that The Panic Broadcast is going to bring Soilwork's wandering flock of old fans back into the fold.  It's not going to win over any of the haters either.  Only the most die-hard Soilwork fan who likes all of the band's "phases" will truly enjoy The Panic Broadcast from beginning to end.  I, like most old fans, personally feel that Natural Born Chaos is the last great Soilwork release.  I enjoy a handful of songs or at the very least a few moments from each of the more recent albums, so in that sense, The Panic Broadcast is not really that different from Soilwork's other recent output.  However, it's definitely a huge step in the right direction with the reintroduction of faster tempos and the amazing leads, but make no mistake, the band is still treading heavily in mainstream territory.  Bringing back some of its old elements does not eliminate Soilwork's recent weaknesses, it just reduces them.  While The Panic Broadcast may be the best Soilwork album in recent memory, it still misses the mark almost as much as it succeeds.  When I want to hear Soilwork, I will continue to throw on the first four albums.  With excellent production and spot on performances, The Panic Broadcast is far from a poor release.  (Strid delivers the best vocal performance of his career.)  It just can't escape from the long shadow cast by Soilwork's past.  Nevertheless, the band continues to grow in popularity.  Consider Soilwork dead if you want.  They seem to be doing just fine without you.