Review Summary: Riding Majestically
Scandinavia is a peninsula that contains sovereign nations often revered for bringing out the best in their citizens, who excel in fields such as education and arts; a frigid yet enchanting land harboring true musical talent. Heavy Metal is no exception. For the past twenty years, Sweden presented the scene with many competent bands. At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity and In Flames can be considered the main source of inspiration to their compatriots.In their twenty year history, Soilwork have been releasing their own branch of captivating Melodic Death Metal.
Two years ago, fans saw the creation of “The Living Infinite”, a twenty track double-album that left the media talking about a creative revival. The quality of the music was unquestionable. Most of the songs were packed with copious amounts of sublime song-writing. Given its success, the band acknowledged the difficulty in writing a superior record. Mission accomplished.
The Ride Majestic is the perfect embodiment of superb musical content. The album’s sonority is thronged with melancholy. The feelings are patent on the guitar melodies, which evoke morose sentiments whilst pervading the listener with inexplicable buoyancy. In songs such as “Whirl of Pain” or “Death in General”, both guitars do a remarkable effort in harmonizing those melodies bestowing an eerie, almost atmospheric vibe to the songs.The riffs do an excellent job in accommodating the leads, which are often endorsed by the meticulous and pungent rhythmic guitar writing.
The unconventional song structures present in songs like “The Phantom” or “Alight in the Aftermath” might leave the listener flummoxed. On them, Bjorn is able to experiment with entirely disparate ideas that co-exist harmoniously, allowing them to sound immense and grandiose. It is difficult to deliver such catchy and infectious lines over a ferocious blast beat, and Dirk Verbeuren, the drummer, issues Bjorn that challenge it. He accepted it, and he passed it with sumptuous elegance. Thus, vocally, the album is replete with original and varied melodies, embellished by poetic and coherent lyrics.
To quantify “The Ride Majestic”'s purported quality, words might suffice. It’s a concordant thought: The Ride is supreme and full of interesting surprises. Perhaps, the album could serve as a strong argument for the Swedish sextet: on why they might be considered the best Melodeath band in activity.
