Soilwork - A Whisp of the Atlantic (2020)

Riding high from their 2019 release, “Verkligheten”, Soilwork delivers a killer EP with nearly 37 minutes of music. Continuing their evolution into Melodic/Grove Metal territories, the band unleashes five killer songs filled with signature Soilwork moments that fans of the band will certainly love. If you have been keen on the band’s last two releases, this EP will satisfy your cravings for more.

Opening with the 17-minute title track, the band sets a very lively and upbeat mood in the first few minutes, with the song gradually exploring some groovy/proggy passages perfectly led by Björn’s clean/harsh growls and some funky keyboard arrangements by Sven Karlsson. The instrumentation is as rich as always with crafty drums and engaging guitar riffs. This track bleeds a bit into “Feverish”, a faster paced song with pummeling drums and a hectic vibe.

We particularly enjoy the bombastic feeling of songs like “Death Diviner” and “The Nothingness and the Devil”, which feature a wide range of influences and more traditional Heavy Metal/Hard Rock attitudes, making them quite fun and entertaining. We have heard shorter full length releases this year, so “A Whisp of the Atlantic” certainly offers the listeners a great bang for their buck. Soilwork’s most recent direction is quite exciting and this release just showcases their quality and determination to deliver killer music with each release they put out.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: December 4th, 2020

Genre: Melodic/Groove Metal

Country: Sweden