Customer Reviews

Chainheart Machine

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Soilwork would later go on to drastically soften their sound and rely more on melody in future releases, but they gave us one last brutal, intense record before doing so. This is the closest they've ever gotten to perfection...a shame that they had to change.

While "The Chainheart Machine" does include melody, there's a difference between the usage of it and relying on it. Their future albums would rely on it, making them become redundant after a few listens. "The Chainheart Machine", on the other hand, gets better every time you hear it. Henry Ranta's drumming is hectic, a perfect fit for Björn Strid's speedy vocals. The guitars are the best I've heard on any Soilwork album - the frequent solos and interesting rhythmic changes were terrific. Lastly, Ola Fink's bass is nothing too special, but the way it harmonizes with the guitars is amazing.

I seem to use the word 'perfect' a lot when discussing "The Chainheart Machine", but that's because it's the 'perfect' word to describe it. Soilwork were at the top of their game here, it's a shame to see a once great band now releasing mediocre albums like "Figure Number Five". If the idea of Gothenburg melodic death mixed with some thrash and speed metal interests you, pick this one up right away.

This six-man metal army of the Gothenburg alliance strikes like a rapid ball of flames and keeps you on the edge of sanity throughout. The vocalist "Speed" Strid screams like a bat out of hell and never lets up, the dual guitar mastery of Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning attack like a steel metal Jugarnaut, and the keyboards give the music a nice sense of melody among the metal madness. Likely comparisons will be made between these guys and bands like At The Gates and Arch Enemy, but saying these guys are just copycats would be a huge injustice. Every song is of top quality in sheer aggression and melodic harmony. The production is very well rounded just like the music. If you are still asking yourself if its worth it to buy it and my review wasn't enough for you let me give you this advice. If you like your music fast and your volume loud these guys are definetly for you.

Upon discovering Soilwork, one of the most talented metal bands around today, many people immediately draw a comparison to fellow Swedish bands such as In Flames, Arch Enemy, and the now defunct At The Gates. Being that they are from the same country and that they originated from the same scene, that is understandable. However, they are more than just a by-product of the aforementioned bands. These guys have a style that they can proudly call their own. "The Chainheart Machine" solidified Soilwork's status in the melodic death metal field after they broke onto the scene with their incredible debut, "Steelbath Suicide." This release shows much maturation in the band.

The songs are everything a metalhead can ask for: thrashy riffs, incredible drumming, insane double bass, very well- constructed and melodic solos, and vocals that are so frightening and aggressive that they make you want to go and hide. The album begins with the blistering "The Chainheart Machine," which foreshadows the excellence that the listener will soon experience. Fans of thrash will take a liking to this album immediately, as a lot of the songs have a tempo similar to this track. The twin guitar nirvana that is Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning could not be better. They don't shred too often, but their solos are so infectious! Henry Ranta's drumming is absolutely off the wall. 'Nuff said!

Next, we have two of Soilwork's all time best songs, "Bulletbeast" and "Millionflame." The former stays true to the thrash formula, and paves the way for amazing leads. "Millionflame" sounds so pleasant (yet awesome) in the beginning that it makes you wonder if they may actually let up a little bit, but an incredibly heavy riff kicks in and is backed by double bass that is again off the wall. Other standout tracks are "Neon Rebels," which contains all the essential elements of a great Soilwork song, and "Possessing The Angels," which simply blew me away when I first heard it. It has one of the best solo sections I've ever heard a Swedish metal band churn out. And when I heard Strid scream things like "Condemn Me! Punish Me!" I was just like, man this is awesome. Finally, "Room No. 99" is also one of my favorites, and it closes out the CD quite well, strong riffs and excellent solos.

In conclusion, if you are a Swedish metal fan, I would buy this. Hell, I would buy it anyway. However, they are an original band. Don't listen to those people who say they are At The Gates rip-offs. They have earned a spot in the metal arena, and they will be a band to watch for MANY years. And, they have announced their new album, the aptly-titled "Figure Number Five," which will hit the states on May 6th. I have faith in these guys, I'm sure it will rule. For now, satisfy your appetite with "The Chainheart Machine."

Being a fan of older thrash music like Coroner and Kreator, I was blown away when I heard the first track off of The Chainheart Machine. I immediately ran out and bought the CD. It has become one of my favorite metal recordings. Everything is so direct and vicious. Soilwork's vocals are screaming and full of bile, the guitar sound is completely punishing and their musical melodic sense is a perfect meeting ground of old and new (i.e. Iron Maiden and At The Gates.)

I look forward to great things in the future from Soilwork, and I'm happy to have found this recording!

The leadwork sets a new standard, before for the past 18 or so years it was Iron Maiden thart set the standard for duel guitar bands. These guys also cleverly incorporate a keyboard into their dense sound.

There isn't much I can say about this album cause it speaks for itself. It contains very intricate guitars and drums backed up with screaming and singing. An absolute superb album, the best soilwork album yet in my opinion. Buy it

Ok, if you are actually into metal, and you don't want the pop vocals of their later stuff, get this CD. I mean, yeah, in their later stuff he still "screams" but it's gets less and less, weaker and weaker as they go on. A Predator's Portrait was the first to start that, and was a bit less aggressive then this album, then Natural Born Choas, which was far less aggressive and delve a bit further into the pop vocals. Figure Number Five, I haven't even touched, for the few songs I've heard off of it.

But, once again, like most of the CDs I review, this CD has no filler. This CD is the most kick [butt] thrash I've ever heard. The best tracks are "Chainheart Machine", "Possessing the Angels", "Machine gun Majesty", and "Neon Rebels" ... but they are all great songs.

If you listen to real metal, don't listen to people when they say any of their other CDs are better ... this is the one. Their newer stuff is alright, but this is the good stuff. BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT!!!

Soilwork have emerged as another solid Gothenburg band who have clearly drawn their influences from In Flames and, most obviously, At the Gates. While Soilwork do have a remarkable amount of blasting energy in each of their songs on "The Chainheart Machine," the problem lies in the fact that they're almost a complete copy of the latter mentioned band. Soiliwork are a fine example of great Gothenburg metal, and I suppose the similarity to ATG is all but inevitable in the genre. But still, "Generation Speedkill," "BulletBeast" and the title track all hold their own against a slew of other metal bands today who couldn't play half as well as these guys can. Gothenburg metal fans, take note.

This is as brutal as melodic death gets. In it's origin, melodic death was either brutal or folk-injected. This album really puts shame to the instrumentals in their newer albums. The speed on this album is unforgiving, there is no singing, and Speed's vocals are much better than his lower screams in their later albums. Get this and Predator's Portrait if you like melodic death at all.

When I first put on this CD my immediate impression was Cryptopsy and In Flames mixed together. This album takes you from a chaotic brutal death metal sound reminiscent of Cryptopsy's "Whisper Supremacy" and then takes you into excellent guitar melodies. This album is great for someone into melodic or more technical death metal or even someone just getting into death metal, since the songs seem to go in and out from brutal thrash metal type riffs to extremely melodic riffs, making it much more accessible to metalheads who aren't really into death metal (which can be considered bad by some "death metal purists.") My favorites would have to be "Possessing the Angels," and "Spirits of the Future Sun," I highly recommend this album to almost any metalhead.