The Chainheart Machine (2000) Rating 8.4/10
    Soilwork a part of a newer wave of Scandinavian black metal, specialising in the now world famous Gothenburg sound made so popular by In Flames, At the Gates and Dark Tranquility (to mention just a few). The album was produced with Fredrik Nordstrom (In Flames), which also adds to the Gothenburg feel. However, Soilwork tend to veer away slightly from the melody-drenched albums from the likes of In Flames and focus a bit more on the thrash metal influences, in particular Slayer and Megadeth. And, while I love both of those bands, the major flaw in The Chainheart Machine tends to be it's reliance on riffs and guitar solos that sound altogether too familiar. But perhaps that is made up for by the pure energy of this release - it's an exhilerating ride that never missses a beat.
    In terms of song structure, Soilwork tend to us a very aggressive, fast thrashy riff with no keyboards for the verses, with Bjorn Strid vocals cutting sharp over the guitars. Then the choruses usually have more black metal, tremelo played riffs with the addition of drawn out, atmospheric keyboards which, while often not registered by the listener because they're so low in the mix, create a wonderful contrast between the more emotional parts and the more thrashy parts.
    The album opens with the fantastically exciting title track, which contains all the definitive aspects of the Soilwork sound. This song alone could make the album a worthwhile listen. The second track, 'Bulletbeast', contains undeniably one of the best solos I've ever heard, similar to Arch Enemy but perhaps even better. Breathtaking! 'Millionflame' has some great riffs, although the guitar solo is a little cliched - I'm convinced a lot of Soilwork's licks are taken from Rust in Peace by Megadeth. 'Generation Speedkill', 'Neon Rebels' and 'Possessing the Angels' are all good songs, but less interesting because the riffs sound similar and are all very 80s in style. 'Spirits of the Future Sun' is an amazing contrast - packed full of original sounding riffs, great atmosphere and a chorus to die for. The solo is the only part that slightly disappoints. 'Machine Gun Majesty' is one of the most aggressive, but I prefer the more melodic riffs of 'Room No. 99', the final track.
    This album is certainly not essential, yet there are a lot of moments that make it very worthwhile owning. Even if the riffs can sound like something straight out of your old record collection, the album is exciting and does have the occasional original moment, especially on 'The Chainheart Machine', 'Bulletbeast' and 'Spirits of the Future Sun'.