Album Review: Soilwork - 'Sworn To A Great Divide'

24 December 2007 | 3:11 pm | Staff Writer
Originally Appeared In

It's not Chainheart Machine, but it'll do...

More Soilwork More Soilwork

Metallica take note,

“Sworn To A Great Divide” is Soilwork's seventh studio album

in less a decade and they can still write a cracking tune or two...

so what's your excuse!? 

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The various members of Soilwork

described the record as something of a best of as they felt the combination

of melody, thrash and the band's more straight forward rock moments

summed up the band's ten year existence... and they weren't far off.

“Sworn To A Great Divide” sounds like your favourite parts from

all of Soilwork's previous efforts rolled into one cohesive album,

and while it can lag a bit at times, it's pretty solid.. 


The record's title track kicks

things off with one hell of a groove before a ring out makes way for

the Soilwork of old. If you're not familiar with the band, that

means fast Euro riffing! Although it comes off as a little cheesy, the

chorus hook is going to be stuck in your head for days at a time and

you need not be concerned about Daniel Antonsson's ability to

fill Peter Wichers lead guitar spot, as the song's solo is top

notch. 


“Exile” and “Breeding

Horns” are two mid paced tracks but they stand out as some of my favourites

from the record. Both tunes have a groove that most metal bands would

kill for and the choruses are simply epic. The keys on “Your Beloved

Scapegoat” fill the song out nicely and provide an excellent backing

for the bridge, which features one of Speed's most memorable

vocal hooks and another great solo from Soilwork's newest member.  


The riffing on “The Pittsburgh

Syndrome” would sit comfortably with any of the band's earlier records

but the speed of the vocal delivery in the chorus doesn't really work

for. “I, Vermin” starts out with a melodious introduction but the

drums and vocals throughout the song's verses make it one of the toughest

tracks on the record.  


“Light Discovering Darkness”

had such a promising start but the radio rock styled choruses completely

kill the vibe of the song. Luckily “As The Sleeper Awakes” is one

of the best songs Soilwork have committed to record in the recent

memory! The riffs are great and Speed's vocals sound as gritty

as they did ten years ago. Couple that with the album's biggest chorus

and you're onto a winner. “Silent Bullet” is far from terrible but

it is still one of the weakest tunes on offer, although “Sick Heart

River's” use of something other than a four/four beat does pick the

album up again.

“Sworn To A Great Divide”

is far from being the best record of Soilwork's career but there's

still enough going on to keep most long term fans happy. I'm interested

to see how the newer songs hold up when the band tour here in May.


  1. Sworn To A Great

    Divide

  2. Exile
  3. Breeding Thorns
  4. Your Beloved Scapegoat
  5. The Pittsburgh Syndrome
  6. I, Vermin
  7. Light Discovering

    Darkness

  8. As The Sle