Soilwork – Stabbing the Drama
Nuclear Blast America, 2005
1. Stabbing the Drama
2. One With the Flies
3. Weapon of Vanity
4. The Crestfallen
5. Nerve
6. Stalemate
7. Distance
8. Observation Slave
9. Fate In Motion
10. Blind Eye Halo
11. Wherever Thorns May Grow
Six records later and the word is finally getting out about Soilwork — above and beyond likening them to At The Gates.
Those acquainted with the Swedish group have followed the band from their twists and turns through mediocrity; considering even through multiple lineup changes, the band has consisted of veterans, and with age comes an unwillingness to change or take risks. For years, the band has been compared to a hundred other bands with rarely a nod to originality.
And the band has changed their sound several times over. It’s clear they have an affinity for death metal as well as groove-laden hooky types of rock, but one might point at the fact that the band has always tried very hard to please rather than create, and this has hindered their artistic capabilities.
However, with Stabbing the Drama, it almost appears that the Swedes have taken a step back from the “need to please” and instead have focused more on giving themselves their own distinct style. While it’s not entirely original to say the least — and actually sounds quite a bit like the current US scene (Lamb of God and Shadows Fall in particular) — they seem to have thrown themselves into a niche and created a cohesive album that showcases the incredible vocal strengths of the band as well as their tight rhythm section.
Death ‘n’ clean vocals mix throughout Drama as a neverending surge of speedy groove stacks behind; unlike many metal bands, the guitar seems to exist merely as an ornament to decorate these strengths. It’s an interesting approach that would backfire if it wasn’t for constant change-ups in rhythm and melody keeping the music intriguing. In other words, without the hooks, nobody would look twice at this disc. Fortunately, there are more hooks here than in a bait shop.
Standing out as a clear example of all that is right with this album is “Nerve;” it could be MTV friendly if marketed correctly, yet it retains more than enough elements to keep scenesters from revolting. The song stands out miles above many comparable songs by other artists; there’s not a dull moment and it’s addictively catchy. “Fate In Motion” is similarly different, peppered with surprises, and keeps the listener engaged. Also kudos to “Weapon of Vanity” for some beautifully layered melodies in the chorus.
Even with these tricks and turns, it’s fair to say that often times, the band falls into familiar habits, plodding away with similar rhythm structures and inevitably causing many of the songs to sound alike and forcing the listener to use extra concentration to tell the songs apart. Case in point: the first ten seconds of “The Crest Fallen,” “Stalemate,” “Observation Slave,” and “Distance” are nearly identical in key, tempo, and style, with only a change in rhythm structure differentiating. While the entire album sounds great, it’s this habit of falling into a rut that keeps anything other than the tone of the disc as a whole from standing out as noteworthy.
As a body of work, everything fits together well on Stabbing the Drama; there are few moments when the intensity lightens, creating a nice wall of driving metal that holds a mood and gives Soilwork an aural identity of their own for once. Although it may be argued that somewhere along the way, Soilwork and Shadows Fall seem to have had the same goals and reached them through different routes; the resemblance in sound is uncanny, but one wouldn’t dare say intentional.
