Natural Born Chaos

Soilwork | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 2, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast Americ
• ASIN: B00005YXGD
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,095 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally blew me away., June 20, 2002

By 

Lord Chimp (Monkey World) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Natural Born Chaos (Audio CD)

After first listening to this album I was literally stunned by the time it had ended. Soilwork's latest album blew me away song after song, and in my first day of owning it I ended up listening to it seven times before reluctantly taking a breather with something mellower. Natural Born Chaos is the essence of melodic aggression -- it is definitely one of the best metal albums I've heard in years. I'm not really a metalhead, per se, so take that for what it's worth. Either way, I readily maintain that this is an _awesome_ record.

Produced by metal's own mad scientist, Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad), Natural Born Chaos envelops the listener with raging staccato walls of heavy riffage with exceptional compositional and melodic talents. While unquestionably aggressive, Soilwork's music here is also stunningly melodic at times. For this, we can mainly credit the incredible vocal melodies and vocalist Speed's delivery. On nearly every song, he smoothly toggles between his threatening, throaty growl and dark, powerful clean voice -- and often straddling the line between the two. Speed's vocals are uniformly stunning, and the album is not shy with hooks. I've found many of these songs stuck in my head for days at a time.

Yet, for all of Natural Born Chaos' melodic qualities, it remains a punishing, visceral metal album. Predominantly fast thrash-inflected, syncopated guitar furies, there are also the occasional slow, heavy-duty rhythms that recall the trendy nu-metal which works interestingly for rhythmic diversity. If my use of the term nu-metal frightens you, it shouldn't. Soilwork's songs are replete with technical, intense riffing that crushes any nu-metal band you can think of, and the band's leadwork slaughters. Reams of tasty harmonies and textural guitar effects don't temper the aggression, but still instill a melodic subtlety.

I like how this album makes use of keyboards. They are very gentle in the mix, but they subtly enhance the songs without detracting from the "metallic" quality at all. The keys mistily creep through the songs, almost elusive but valuable in every situation: "As We Speak" presents a dramatic keyboard-generated atmosphere behind the raging guitars; "Soilworker's Song for the Damned" has icy, haunting keyboard backdrops.

The musicianship is topnotch, and every song is a highlight -- I honestly can't pick out any favorites because they are all great. Although the album is not very long, it is so awesome anything more would probably cause a fatal overdose. From its haunting artwork to the music itself, this album is an utter success.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soilwork's 4th is nothing short of a masterpiece!, April 3, 2002

By 

"juicemanx" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Natural Born Chaos (Audio CD)

Didn't Soilwork just release 'A Predator's Portrait'? Seems like it, but now all of a sudden in 2002 we have the Devin Townsend produced 'Natural Born Chaos'. And it is spectacular from start to finish, this band is easily the hottest running in the Gothenburg metal scene. Townsend must be given credit for adding that extra touch of melody on this album. On first listen, NBC will sound like an album that focuses way too hard on being catchy and not enough on that death metal brutality. But give it some time, and everything will blend together in a mass of metal perfection. I really can't find any faults within this entire CD. Vocalist 'Speed' gives a full on aggressive assault in every song, and when the time comes to sing cleanly, he shines even greater.

Opener "Follow the Hollow" is classic Soilwork. A very aggressive song that switches back and forth between clean and death vocals until we hit the amazing lead work that Soilwork has become known for. Next comes "As We Speak" which utilizes keyboards in a tremendous way. This is without a doubt my favorite song on the CD, extremely memorable. "The Bringer" uses some nice acoustic guitar at the beginning and is definitely the catchiest of all the songs (features another clever use of keyboards in the solo section). "No More Angels" shreds and rips its way through, a huge standout on this record. Closer, "Song of the Damned" ends this album perfectly with a catchy as all hell main riff and great vocals.

I don't know how the metal community will recieve this album. Soilwork has written an album full of catchy metal songs, and that usually is a bad thing for such an elitist fanbase. But let me say, these songs would never be accepted by the mass public and are still metal as can be. This is my favorite Soilwork album, and I've heard each one many times. Don't miss out on the best album released so far in 2002. Highly recommended.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soilwork dig up Melody in their Aggressive output, September 19, 2002

By 

E. Peltier "doormouse" (North Arlington, New Jersey United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Natural Born Chaos (Audio CD)

Occasionally in metal, the emphasis lies a bit too much on brutality or evilness than on that
which are commonly held as true qualities of brilliant music: well developed harmonies,
memorable melodies, superior musicianship in execution and uniquely inspired structure.
While Soilwork may not have delivered the most brutal or evil release to date, they have
more than quantified their penchant for poignant songwriting.

Hot on the heals of the acclaimed A Predator's Portrait comes the landmark Natural Born
Chaos. With their latest offering these Swedish masters do more than just raise the bar for
the melodic death metal scene, they challenge all those in the "rock" genre to match their
craft. Helped tremendously by the maniacal genius of producer extraodonaire Devin
Townsend (S.Y.L), the sextet have more than demonstrated their poise.

Going back to beyond Stealbath Suicide, Soilwork attempted to set themselves apart by
utilizing a unique harmonic structure that paired the traditional dual lead guitar writing
with a keyboard and created a progressive overtone that managed to set a standard in its
own right. With NBC, however, they have found a better way to utilize the keyboard and
twin guitar onslaught to create atmosphere and push the melodies even further to the
forefront.

By the time one finally hits the title track, the aural assault has gone beyond haunting in
the development of the "hook." Soilwork move like a leviathan, swiftly between grain and
grace, to create gargantuan choruses and hum along riffs that echo in the transient corners
of the mind for hours after the disc has ended while maintaining their death roots.

Sweden may quickly become the entertainment industry's next `Seattle' scene with the rise
of several of Soilwork's contemporaries in the international arena, but with NBC the boys
once again set themselves apart from the "norm" by continuing to not only push the
boundaries of their own genre but influence the execution of melodic output in its entirely.

Just listen to the development of the closer "Song of the Damned" and understand the
beauty of a simply crafted melody under the guise of a "metal" effort. Soilwork have
transcended the stereotypes of metallic brutality to compose songs of melodic appeal
while maintaining their metallic sensibility.

Next time you year for something more than shear evil aggression out of your music but
are not willing to forego the adrenaline rush of pure metal mystique, dig into Soilwork's
Natural Born Chaos and find it is not as confusing as you once thought to sing along and
pump your fist simultaneously.