Appearing on the First Listen series, the frontman goes track-by-track to share the significance of the Swedish outfit’s 12th full length effort.
For the latest edition of the Knotfest series First Listen, hosts Jon Garcia and contributor Cori Westbrook are joined by veteran frontman Björn Strid of Swedish metal titan Soilwork to explore the band’s twelfth full length studio triumph, Övergivenheten.
Marking the latest iteration of the outfit, the line-up of David Andersson and Sylvain Coudret on guitars. Bastian Thusgaard on drums, Sven Karlsson on key, and the most recent addition in Rasmus Ehrnborn on bass deliver another commanding composition anchored by Soilwork’s mastery of melody and intensity in the same stroke.
When asked to offer any kind of synopsis he could of the album’s experience, Strid shared that he felt Övergivenheten served well in encapsulating the totality of the band’s career. Sharing that the album’s dynamics vary from brutal to beautiful in a way that creates a journey for the listener while still emphasizing what fans have come to know and love about the collective.
Adding that the album at all of 14 tracks and some 55 minutes in duration is among the longest projects the band has completed. Remarking that this one is “special” Strid spoke with a sense of pride in detailing each of the tracks, one-by-one, painting a vivid depiction of the band’s creative headspace and methodical process in making Övergivenheten such a memorable installment in the Soilwork archive.
Coupled with the recent appearance on First Listen, Soilwork have debuted an emphatic live video for the track, “Valleys Of Gloam”. Underscoring the band’s prowess and precision, Strid explained of the single, “Valleys of Gloam has a fierce metallic rock drive and sticks out quite a bit on this album. It might remind some people of the Figure Number Five days – yet it’s moving forward with the bands new found era, where the melodic language and intensity unites in a unique and beautiful way. This one is a very uplifting piece, that goes straight to the heart.”
Övergivenheten from Soilwork is now available via Nuclear Blast Records – HERE
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