![]() ![]() I'm not sure if this was an intended or unintended consequence of the style, but it's certainly a nitpick. If it's one or the other with guitars and vocals, it's fine, but this still leads to a loss of power, particularly during the choruses. The punchy sound is very much there, but when the guitars and vocals are both ongoing, the drums get a bit lost in the mix, with only the kicks, snare, and some cymbals standing out. ![]() The drums pretty good, if not a bit back in the mix. If you've heard any modern metal, the actual production should make you feel at home, which is again rather surprising, since this is from 2005. No way out of this one, but the production, while objectively good, is a bit on the sterile side. That being said, it's also easy to make the connection given the tone itself and the production. It's surprisingly modern for a 2005 album, and you'd be forgiven for not making the connection since everything else, including the music itself, sounds so much like an earlier 2000s album. The guitars are heavier and are much fuller in the mix, while being thinner in the actual tones. I think some variety in the album would've elevated it, and frankly speaking, "Observation Slave" and "Blind Eye Halo" are slight steps down that I wouldn't have minded being replaced. In fact, aside from "If Possible", all of the more traditional, yet also somewhat experimental-sounding Soilwork songs are bonus tracks, and that's really disappointing. ![]() If you want to hear some nice leads, you'll find those in the bonus tracks. Chugging tends to be pretty dogshit, but this is thankfully completely unlike the inane trash of Five Finger Death Punch past The Way of the Fist (Can't wait to see how they completely butcher it, can't be much worse than Clayman 2020). Do they chug? Sure, but they actually sound pretty damn good. ![]() Leads are pretty much gone in exchange for some (Surprisingly heavy) groove/groove-inspired metalcore riffs. Meanwhile, on Stabbing the Drama, I didn't find *any* songs I disliked, and there are only two that I wouldn't listen to quite often.īut let's get my biggest qualms out of the way first: 1. I may end up changing my opinion when I listen to those albums again, but I seriously doubt that I will. I guess that's a bit of spoilers for my future reviews, but I guess my point is that there's a stretch of their discography which has sounded rather uninspired, for the most part. I've notably detested Sworn to a Great Divide, which in my eyes started the modern sound and monotony of the band, and I've yet to find anything of worth in The Panic Broadcast or The Living Infinite (Both of which I'll get to reviewing eventually, likely whenever I have nothing to do and feel like suffering the dull, yet excruciating pain of blunt force trauma from a spoon), but am starting to enjoy more of Natural Born Chaos and The Ride Majestic. While most songs from Soilwork are bland and formulaic, some are absolutely phenomenal and shine in a sea of mediocrity. However, much like with Verkligheten giving me so much to love in that album to the point where I decided to give some of their other albums another chance with more open eyes, Stabbing the Drama actually made me a bit of a fan of the band. Part of me wants to call this the black sheep of their middle era discography, but I think that title's more appropriate for Figure Number Five. Do they work for me? Mostly, yes, but I can absolutely see why they don't for so many others. I can't say I'm confused as to why- There are some stylistic decisions that I can genuinely see as problems. I didn't care for much of the band's music, and I heard that this is almost unanimously regarded as their worst album. Admittedly, I went in with the lowest of expectations. That being said, this is the only album from them that I hadn't listened to before reviewing this, and it genuinely surprised me. Soilwork is somewhat of an enigma to me- They always were, and they will continue to be- but I think I have a better idea of what they've done, even if I'm still lost when it comes to who they are as musicians. ![]()
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