Soilwork are still on their MetalSucks-sponsored Panic Across North America Tour but that isn’t stopping our favorite Swedes from stooping to the level of good ol’ Internet warfare with the rest of us; they’ll be taking over SMNnews.com all day today! The band will be posting their thoughts and pictures from the road, providing their own unique insight throughout the day, and they’ll be participating in an hour-long live chat at 3:30 EDT (12:30 PDT). If you’ve ever wanted to ask Speed Strid whether he uses Bic or Gillette to shave that shiny dome of his, now’s your chance!
Head on over to SMNNews.com to check out the action.
The next Darkest Hour album is gonna be something of a turning point for the band, regardless of how it’s ultimately received — it’s their first away from Victory Records since 2000′s The Mark of the Judas, and guitarist/all-around awesome d00d Mike “Lonestar” Carrigan is no longer “the new guy,” so I suspect that his shredtastic powers will be even further exploited than they were on The Eternal Return (and to the band’s credit, my understanding is that they welcomed Carrigan as a songwriter from the get-go, and never really treated him like “the new guy”). Also, it’s a new Darkest Hour album. That’s just reason to be happy right there.
And now there’s reason to be even happier: the band has announced that Soilwork’s Peter Wichers will produce the still-to-be-titled effort. Of course, Swedish melodic death metal has been a HUGE influence on Darkest Hour’s sound; it’s hard to think of anyone better suited to said sound than Wichers, who is Swedish melodeath royalty.
This album was always gonna be one of my most-anticipated of 2011, but now my desire to hear it has grown exponentially. Obviously, there’s no word on a release date from E1 yet, but we’ll keep you up to speed…
Soilwork have been taking their MetalSucks-sponsored tour across North America with Death Angel, Augury, Mutiny Within and Swashbuckle for almost two weeks now. We caught them in NYC on the 3rd day of the tour and they did not disappoint with their mix of classics from every album back to The Chainheart Machine and material from their new album The Panic Broadcast. The mix was just a little fuzzy but The Gramercy Theater is a really tough room to sound great in, and the band put out plenty of extra energy to compensate. Get remaining tour dates here.
Meanwhile The Panic Broadcast is damn good; have ya heard? Their first official music video from the album is for the track “Deliverance is Mine,” a sort of sequel to their video for “Light the Torch” from Figure Number Five. The video is done in the same animation style and features the same poor, hapless (but cute) mini-buckethead dudes trying to escape the wrath of a robotic supervillain; can’t those little dudes ever catch a break?
The new video for “Deliverance is Mine” below, and its prequel in “Light the Torch” after the jump.
It’s a Soilwork kinda week at the Mansion. The Panic Broadcast finally came out in North America (read my thoughts about it), Anso DF published his riveting interview with one of metal’s biggest Peters, guitarist/producer Peter Wichers, and the MetalSucks co-sponsored Panic Over North America Tour — with Soilwork (duh), Death Angel, Augury, Mutiny Within and Swashbuckle — finally got underway. Get dates here.
We’ll be seeing our favorite Soilworkers tonight at New York’s Gramercy Theater. They always put on an awesome show, but the rest of the lineup is really solid too and should make for a fun evening if we don’t drink too much beforehand at DJ Brambo’s Heavy Metal Happy Hour at the Arrow Bar on Ave. A. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen NJ’s finest Mutiny Within live — May of 2010 at Brooklyn’s tiny Trash Bar, to be exact, shortly after they’d signed to Roadrunner but long before their album had come out — so it’ll be cool to see them on a big stage, all grown up and stuff. Here’s a performance clips video of “Lethean” they recently put together.
Soilwork’s Peter Wichers doesn’t really know how to disappoint. He’s shepherded his band through a stretch of eight albums in a frenetic 12 years. He’s helmed potentially underwhelming projects like the Nuclear Blast All-Stars (not a softball team) and a career band guy’s first solo record (Warrel Dane’s nifty Praises To The War Machine). On top of that, he’s a thrilling guitarist and songwriter. Dreamy.
But he’s more than all that. Like, did you know that the native Swede doesn’t give a shit about soccer? Have you heard his opinion that Devin Townsend is underrated? Could you tell that he can tell the difference between Soilwork singer Bjorn “Speed” Strid and the chairman Frank Sinatra? Don’t take my word for it. It says so right down there after the jump. Right in and among all the talk about Soilwork’s new album The Panic Broadcast, his new and new-ish bandmates, being a metal tastemaker, and crappy guitar solos.
Not that anyone ever really asked for a djentified version of Soilwork, but Serbian (!) band TransakT.Inc. have taken it upon themselves to deliver us one. Or, I should say, Serbian man Petar Alargic has taken it upon himself, as TransakT.Inc. is a one-man project like so many “bands” in this genre. And so too like so many bands in this genre, their album is available completely for free.
Amidst all this talk of Joey Belladonna bending over and taking it from Anthrax, it’s been easy to lose site of the fact that Armored Saint released a pretty decent comeback album this year in La Raza. I was never as big of a Saint fan as I was of Anthrax, but there’s been enough cross-polination between the members that the presence of Bush’s voice on top of La Raza‘s already good songs almost makes it sound as if you’re listening to a Bush-era Anthrax record… almost. “Little Monkey” is my favorite track on the album and in my opinion the most Anthrax-y, both musically and lyrically. Check it out above and pick up La Raza here from Metal Blade if you like.
I also completely forgot about John Bush’s guest appearance on the Nuclear Blast All-Stars Out of the Dark project in 2007 helmed by ex-[at the time]-Soilwork guitarist Peter Wichers. The album was incredibly solid through and through, and “Paper Trail” was one of the bestest songs on it. I find it fascinating that Wichers took on the task of writing a more “rock” oriented song, did a fantastic job with it, and how Bush’s voice really brought it home.
What can I say… I love John Bush’s voice. Enjoysies.
Holy crap, was that awesome Faith No More show really a week ago already? I think I may be suffering from post-FNM depression. We’re seeing Maiden on Monday night, and I’m more excited to hang out with my friends than to see Bruce, Steve and the gang. I just wanna go see FNM again… is that so wrong???
Luckily, there’s plenty of stuff going on in the metal world to keep me distracted from dreams of Mike, Mike, Billy, Roddy and Jon. For instance:
Vince also took time out of his busy schedule to find me a new woman. Yowza!
Next week we’ll have a song debut from our fellow stoner nerds, an interview with a power violence band, and some other shit. Plus, Question of the Week will finally return. ‘Til then… enjoy your weekend!
The Panic Broadcast, Soilwork’s new album marking the return of guitarist/producer Peter Wichers, dropped on July 2nd in Europe… meaning by now most of you have likely heard the whole thing regardless of the “North American release date” of July 13th. But whether you have or haven’t heard it, I figured I’d share my thoughts with ya’ll since that’s why you visit MetalSucks, isn’t it?
Soilwork embark on the MetalSucks-sponsored Panic Over North America tour with Death Angel, Augury, Mutiny Within and Swashbuckle starting on July 14th. Get dates here then get stoked, ’cause we sure are.
Y’know what’s fucking metal? Using the carcass of your prey as a means of camouflage yourself in order to hunt and kill MORE of that prey. Now THAT is fucking-A metal.
Nuclear Blast will release Death Angel’s Relentless Retribution on September 3 in Europe and September 14 in North America. And don’t forget that Death Angel are on the the MetalSucks co-sponsored Panic Over North America Tour 2010 with Soilwork, Augury, Mutiny Within and Swashbuckle. Get dates here.
While news that Peter Wichers rejoined Soilwork a year and a half ago was met with widespread jubilation, any theories that his return to the fold would have a profound impact on their sound were just that, theories. But no longer do we have to speculate, as Soilwork just posted a brand new song called “Two Lives Worth of Reckoning” on their MySpace page.
This may be comparing apples and oranges, but I’d say that Wichers’ return to the group has the same effect as that of Clint Lowery’s return to Sevendust. Both men just bring a sense of musicality, musicianship and production know-how to the table that the remaining members lack on their own; not that sole Wichers-less Soilwork album Sworn to a Great Divide was bad, but it was certainly lacking something. The new Soilwork song certainly demonstrates that sense of musicality up-front… I’d recognize those specific chord voicings as emanating from the mind of Wichers any time and place you played them to me, and those bluesy riffs and a scorching guitar solo? Oh my. Yes, this is very, very right. Of course it’s just one song, but it certainly bodes well. I’m not crazy about Bjorn Strid’s vocals in the choruses, though; they sound auto-tuned to me. What up with that?
The Panic Broadcast drops July 13th in America and July 2nd in Europe.
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010 at 10:00am by Axl Rosenberg
It’s good to be in the AC/DC business. This week, the band released AC/DC: Iron Man 2, a tie-in with next month’s blockbuster popcorn flick that’s really just a greatest hits package. There isn’t a single new song, or even a new recording of an old song, on the thing. It’s just some of the band’s most famous tunes with Iron Man and War Machine on the cover.
And it’s apparently on track to sell somewhere between 80,000 and 100,000 copies in its first week of release. That seems like an insane number for an album with nothing new to offer. Are all of the people who bought this album kids who are just getting into AC/DC and found purchasing the collection to be cheaper than delving into the band’s discography? I might have believed this to be the case ten years ago, but today’s kids are way too savvy for that, aren’t they? They don’t really seem to care about album art, let alone a promo pic that’s readily available all over the internet; they’d just illegally download the tracks (AC/DC have yet to make their catalog available via iTunes) and make their own comp. So I have to think that the band’s older fans are the people buying this album in droves. To repeat: old people are running out and buying a bunch of songs they already own. WHY? Are they too lazy to rip all the songs and just make a mix? Do they not understand how to burn a CD (if people are still buying CDs I’m going to assume that they’re still burning them)? Or are they such loyal completists that they’ll sink money into anything with the AC/DC logo on it ? I’m not knocking AC/DC – I love their music, and good for them for once again being the richest dudes on the planet – but I really do find this to be a mystery.
While you ponder that, watch the below mash-up of AC/DC, Iron Man, and Dirty Dancing. The editing is kinda sloppy and obviously the special effects aren’t theatrical-release grade, but it’s still kinda funny.
The Iron Man 2 video game, which comes out May 4, which feature a lot more metal, with songs by Meshuggah, Soilwork, and a new Lamb of God track, “Hit the Wall.” You can watch a clip about the making of “Hit the Wall” after the jump.
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at 1:30pm by Axl Rosenberg
I mean, that is COOL, dude. I don’t even know what to say… it’s so different from any album art Soilwork have ever had before, but it just looks so bad-assed to me. Do we think there’s any chance the music is gonna have some kind of Asian influence, too, or do we think they just used said influence for the cover because it’s awesome?
This + the return of Peter Wichers = me really excited to hear this puppy. Nuclear Blast will release The Panic Broadcast on June 25 in Europe, and presumably there’ll be a Stateside release roughly around the same time.
I get bummed out when a girl breaks up with me, but it’s kinda fun in a way, right? I just love that moment in the End of Relationship talk when the break-upper can no longer resist loudly listing my faults. Sure, most girls will attempt to execute the break-up humanely ,without telling me the reasons in explicit terms. But if needled, coerced, and (if all else fails) brow-beaten, any departing ladyfriend will be happy to smash through that veneer of kindness and read me the fucking riot act.
This is when I’m in my element, ’cause it’s hilarious to hear the exact same shit every time, like Groundhog Day or W.A.S.P. albums. The first complaint, accompanied by a chuckle, is usually a variation of “Dude, you’re quite stupid. Seriously.” The next is delivered with a bit of sensitivity, lest I lash out in denial: “Anso, you display persistent symptoms of [insert mental illness here]. Get help.” Then, in most cases, we move on to my more tangible failings: the pervasive vulgarity, the sociopath’s disregard for human life and rights of property, drugs, NBA mania, manipulation, hair rock fandom, paranoia, spitting, reckless driving, cheapness, violent sleepwalking, and everything else.
I’ve found that it makes a fun game to shout out the complaints as she’s saying them, followed by a “JINX! You owe me a Coke!” Sometimes, I can even harmonize if she and I agree in advance on a key. (Tip: Try Dm, the saddest of all keys.)
Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 11:30am by Axl Rosenberg
While we have no intention of going to see Kittie play with a bunch of clowns and The Insane Clown Posse, I suspect we will find our way to Soilwork’s next U.S. tour, which will be with Death Angel and feature support from Augury, Mutiny Within, and Swashbuckle. We haven’t gotten to check out the band since Peter Wichers re-joined, and, truth be told, it didn’t feel quite right without The Wichmeister.
And I promise never to refer to him as “The Wichmeister” again.
Many of you expressed a deep satisfaction last week when I goofed and [accurately] proclaimed Demon Hunter’s “Collapsing” a Figure Number Five-era Soilwork ripoff, not realizing that Bjorn “Speed” Strid actually made a guest appearance in the song. Oops! Congratulations folks, you really pwned me on that one. But hey, guess what? You still like Demon Hunter and therefore fail at metal. QED.
Here’s the video for “Rejection Role,” the opening track on said Soilwork album. This video is particularly appropriate because it features a guest appearance by Soilwork’s own forebears in In Flames. The difference is that this song doesn’t suck.
Soilwork are working on their new album The Panic Broadcast right now… as in probably right this very minute. They’ve been posting updates over at The Deciblog, including this nugget from Speed in the most recent entry: “… we really feel that it’s a schizophrenic masterpiece. There’s a lot of surprises and trippy parts and sometimes so full-on that it leaves you absolutely breathless. It is the most intense Soilwork album so far, without a doubt.” That quote gets me more excited for the new album than watching bassist Ola Flink do his goofy stage moves… and those get me really excited!
Apparently all those goody-two-shoes Christian values don’t mean anything when it comes to ripping off your heroes. Demon Hunter’s new song “Collapsing” is a pretty damned good Figure Number Five-era Soilwork impersonation, right down to the hollow-sounding drum production, razor-sharp synth sounds and sing-songy chorus. All it needs to do is be better and you’d have a dead-ringer for Soilwork circa 2003.
Dirk Verbeuren is a fucking MONSTER behind the kit. Dude could just be playing 1/8th notes on the hi-hat and nothing else, and he’s have more finesse and style than 99% of drummers in metal today who can out-blast each other into oblivion. Just sayin’.
Check out Verbeuren in this video (first posted on Blabbermouth) of the recording sessions for The Panic Broadcast, Soilwork’s forthcoming album. As if watching this guy pound away at the kit weren’t enough, we get the added bonus of (sort of) getting to hear the rest of the music, sans-vocals, of a new Soilwork track. We even get a guitar solo, presumably played by Peter Wichers. This video gives great reason to be hopeful that the new Soilwork record will be as good as we hope it will be.
