A Predator's Portrait

Soilwork | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 20, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast
• ASIN: B000058BF8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #154,807 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three times' a charm!, May 21, 2004

By 

Barry Dejasu "the_otherness" (Rehoboth, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Predator's Portrait (Audio CD)

Alas, it sometimes (certainly not often) seems to be the case that an artist's third album is their best. Metallica, with MASTER OF PUPPETS, immediately comes to mind for many people. However, just look at other bands: Iced Earth, with the great BURNT OFFERINGS; Arch Enemy with BURNING BRIDGES; Tool, with AENIMA (or, if you don't count OPIATE as an actual album, LATERALUS, equally terrific). So here it is the case again, with one of the most popular and sonically perfect of Sweden's melodeath bands, Soilwork, with the mighty A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT.

The ten tracks on this album are ten of the best and most ferocious metal songs I have ever heard in my life. This is one of the most complete and well-rounded albums ever, as well; each song, in its own respect, is just PERFECT; not one of the songs is worth skipping over unless there is a specific one you're in the mood for.

Bjorn "Speed" Strid's performance is at its best. This is the first album to really introduce his clean vocals, which are surprisingly clear and diverse (just as diverse, if not more, than his more well-known death metal rasps and growls). Just listen to "Neurotica Rampage," and gasp at his furious screams at the ending chorus - he drops his death metal rasp and simply SCREAMS...and it is brutal to hear. Then hear his performance on "Shadowchild," and be blown away forevermore by his singing. Also, be sure to listen to the title track - special guest backing vocals by the great Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth (with that haunting singing voice of his!).

Henry Ranta is still one of my absolute favorite metal drummers. With eclectic (but precision) skill he lashes out and seems to destroy his set, maintaining rhythm with killer speed and complexity, yet creating mind-boggling extra noise that, had it not been performed, would have rendered the rhythm section into something fast but not particularly interesting.

Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning simply SLAUGHTER on this album. If you're a person who's first getting into Soilwork through the great NATURAL BORN CHAOS, then forget how good you think the guitar duo was there. On A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT, they have endless leads and harmonies that rival even Arch Enemy and In Flames, pounding riffs that are like three-ton spiked balls being dropped on your house, and leads that can shred your ears to confetti...or lift you to the highest heavens. It's unfortunate that they have decided to be less of a guitar-driven group; this is one of their most powerful strengths - especially when they have back-to-back guitar solos. Best (heavy) riffs: "The Analyst" (during the verses - just try to tell me those riffs aren't infectious!), the title track, and "Neurotica Rampage." Best harmonized riffs: "Grand Failure Anthem," in the choruses - simply beautiful stuff.

Ola Flink's bass, although barely taking any moments of real outstanding work, still provides an excellent backdrop to the guitar riffs and thickens the rhythm. Perhaps he is the only member of the band that does not stand out in one way or another.

Finally, Carlos Holmberg proves to be a good, but not great, keyboardist. His contribution to Soilwork's sound is more of a textural process, adding to and nicely complementing the melodic side of their vicious sound. It would not be until NATURAL BORN CHAOS that the great Sven Karlsson (formerly of Evergrey) that keyboards became more of a prominent instrument in Soilwork's genre-bending sound. Still, Carlos was integral to Soilwork, and helped make this album perfect.

Actually, wait...as I write this review, "Shadowchild" played on my CD player. I think this song deserves a mention of its own. Ultra-heavy riffs during the verses, and epic-feeling, mammoth harmonized melodies in the choruses, already make it good enough in itself. But it is also from Bjorn's soaring clean vocals in the chorus (where he chants, "Lead us...Shadowchild...soiled by your faith in disguise...shadowside...reflecting the eyes") that really drive this song to such sonic perfection. Just...never mind; I couldn't describe it better if I wanted to. Listen to it yourself and be blown away.

So in a nutshell, A PREDATOR'S PORTRAIT is as good as Soilwork has ever gotten. It is the absolute pinnacle of their powerful, dark, melodic, and ultra-heavy take on metal. And if you're new to melodic death metal, this definitely should be your first - or at least would be a perfect introduction. This is the cream of the, um, soil.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Melodic death metal at its finest., September 21, 2002

By 

Ryan Klubeck (Wilkes-Barre, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Predator's Portrait (Audio CD)

Gothenburg has bestowed upon us another fantastic melodic death metal act called Soilwork. They are certainly a force to be reckoned with in the metal arena. ... Euro-metal bands like Soilwork come to the rescue.

Soilwork are comparable to such Gothenburg legends as At The Gates and In Flames. Although many feel that they are not up to par with these bands, I strongly disagree. Soilwork have found a home in the circle of great Swedish metal bands, and in some cases, transcend them. Their songwriting abilities are top notch, and they do not waste time trying to get their point across. They combine thrash and death metal with a melodic twist, and the result is fantastic.

"A Predator's Portrait," Soilwork's third release, greatly improves on the foundation laid by "Steelbath Suicide" and "The Chainheart Machine." The band really began to fall into place with this release. They implemented clean vocals and frequent use of keyboards, and the twin guitar nirvana that is Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning has returned. Heavy, pummelling riffs and melodic, harmonized solos are there every step of the way to satisfy bloodthirsty metalheads.

The album immediately bursts forth with the melodic sludgefest "Bastard Chain," which well showcases each musical element in Soilwork's sadistic cauldron. Classic thrash riffing gives way to a melodic chorus loaded with arpeggios, and the song concludes with fantastic solos by Wichers and Frenning. "Speed" Strid's vocals are also fantastic. His voice is quite unique.

Next, Soilwork slow their attack but do not sacrifice one bit of heaviness. "Like The Average Stalker" contains great riffs and keyboard work, and the melodies are great, as always. "Needlefeast" has a catchy chorus with clean vocals, and is also a great song in itself. "Neurotica Rampage" is a great thrash tune with cool guitar fills inserted throughout. "Shadowchild" is simply one of the best songs on the album, and "A Predator's Portrait" is a great closer. It also has a clean vocal driven chorus, and Strid is backed by Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth.

There is not a bad song on this album. This band simply can do no wrong. Fans of melodic death metal should pick this up and discover a new dimension of the Gothenburg sound. The songwriting is top notch, the guitars, vocals, and drums are all aggressive, and there is not a boring moment on this CD. BUY IT!!!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the best the Genre had to Offer... (4.5 Stars), February 16, 2006

By 

Sunshine the Werewolf (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Predator's Portrait (Audio CD)

SOILWORK - A Predator's Portrait
-
Pretty much an all around awesome album! Even though nothing entirely new is offered, since fellow musicians such as ATG, In Flames and Dark Tranquillity having already laid much of the ground work for the genre. Yet Soilwork was able to make incredible album on all accounts.

- Stunning musicianship, especially the guitar duo Peter and Ola, both are even flashier on this release then on Natural Born Chaos, (The other album that I have by them.) Also, Vocalist Byron (Aka Speed) has on of the best voices the genre has to offer. Besides his powerful raspy growl he has a great singing voice (This is apparently the first album he introduced the clean-channel vocals...) I also like how they are used more sparingly on this album (As opposed to N.B.C.) Drumming is actually quite varied and he offers a bit more than the traditional beats expected by the genre. The Bass provides a great wall of sound though it, in itself, is quite standard. And last are the Keys which are used appropriately to further thicken the bands wall the sound.

- Fantastic song writing, in fact, there is not one bad song on this album. Tracks like: Needlefeast and Shadowchild are par with anything written by any of the Melodic Death greats I mentioned above, truth is, every single song on this disk is listenable and each really brings its own artistic merit.

Like I had said earlier this album doesn't really break any ground in the genre, but it was par, if not exceeded the genre standards. Basically, it just kicks a lot if ass. (Similar to what Unearth's - Oncoming Storm was to Metal-core)

Favorite Songs: A Predator's Portrait, Shadowchild, Bastard Chain and Needlefeast.
-4.5 Stars.


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