Review Summary: Any metal lover will really enjoy this album. It's got great guitar melodies, amazing drumming and some of the best vocals in metal today.
It appears that when it comes to metal, no country produces as much talent as finland and sweden. Soilwork is just one of the few amazing bands hailing from sweden. The band started out under the name inferior breed and released two eps under that name, before changing to soilwork and releasing their first album, steelbath suicide in 1999. Since then, they have only gotten better. A predator's portrait is their third attempt and by far their best album. This album is the first to feature speed's clean vocals, which are amazing to say the least. His screams are very strong as well. Winchers and Frenning provide amazing guitar harmonies and amazing solos as well. Ola fink doesn't stand out a whole lot but when the bass is audible, you can see that he really shines. Henry Ranta is an amazing drummer as well, using blast beats proficiently and holding the band together nicely. Finally, Carlos del olmo adds some extras atmosphere with the keyboards. Though not really standing out, you'd notice a different atmosphere to the music with his absence. This is one of the best metal releases ever, you should definitely give it a shot.
track analysis:
Bastard Chain: Starts off with a bang, this is the only song that doesn't feature speed's clean vocals. Very aggressive. The chorus chant is very anthem-like and the guitar riffs truly shine here. The solo is amazing and the breakdown is pummeling. I suggest this son strongly, it's the second best on the album. btw, i rate songs out of 10 instead of 5. 10/10
Like the average stalker: Another great song here. It's slower than bastard chain and not quite as heavy, but still proves to be one of the strongest on the cd. The double bass shines in the verses and the pre-chorus feature's amazing clean vocals. The chorus has a very melodic riff and is very catchy. Another great solo is featured before the chorus comes back. The song eventually fades out with the main riff. 10/10
Needlefeast: HELL YES!! This is by far the best song on the album, as it is the best soilwork song ever. The intro is amazing, starting off with a sound that starts softer, and gets louder quickly (not sure if it's played on the guitar or keyboard, prob keyboard) which is followed by a pummeling guitar riff with heavy drums. Very fast and heavy. The verses feature less guitar half the time, with just speed and henry playing. Very catchy as I said. After some aggressive screaming, the incredibly haunting and melodic chorus comes in. You can suppose that there is yet a another amazing solo here. You better listen to this track. 10/10
neuretica rampage: A pretty past song with very aggressive drumming. A haunting chorus is also featured here. The solo is slower and not as aggressive as the previous tracks but still is very awesome. This song isn't as good as most of the album but is still amazing. 9.25/10
the analyst: This is my least favorite track, im not sure why. The opening riff is very catchy,a dnb is followed by an aggressive riff in the verse. The chorus features clean and harsh vocals overlapping each other. This is also one of the few songs where the keyboard can be heard very distinctly, especially before the solo starts. 9.25/10
Grand Failure Anthem: Back on track, this is possibly the most aggressive song on the album. It gets a tad bit repetitive, but that doesn't stop it from being mind blowing. The chorus is short, but is very catchy once again. The solo is one of the best, if not the best on the album, but the best part os the bridge that starts at 2:17. It's very melodic, and seems really fast, even though it isn't really. It is also featured again bridging the chorus and solo at 3:21. Great song. 10/10
Structure divine: I like this song, it has a simple, but fast riff during the verses and some great vocals again. The chorus is probably the most catchy on the album, and one of the best. The solo is great yet again and goes into the main riff very well. The solo ends with a sustained note into the choppy, fast riff. Very good. 9.5/10
shadowchild: Wait, maybe this song has the best chorus. Anyway, it starts off right away with Speed whispering, and comes in with a very heavy riff. The guitar melodies are very organic and melodic, very nice. The chorus is nothing short from breathtaking. Speed's clean vocals are seriously beautiful in it. Another solo is featured (you'd know that by now) Amazing. 10/10
Final Fatal force: The slowest track on the album, it has very heavy riffs, and a pretty good chorus. Not many clean vocals are featured, but it manages to stay really catchy, it has an almost danceable guitar riff to it. Along with Grand Failure anthem, this song probably has the best guitar solo in it. 9.25/10
A predator's portrait: This song features Mikael Akerfeldt ( I don't think I spelt that right) from opeth in the chorus. THe song starts very slowly with a pretty heavy riff. Then at about 30 seconds into the song, an extremely fast and heavy riff emerges and becomes the main riff. This song is probably the fastest song during the verses, but slows down for a haunting chorus. The solo is softer on this song, kinda like track 4 but is still really good. Great album ender. 9.75/10
