Review by Krys on February 24, 2001.

I don’t remember waiting for anything so impatiently like I did for Soilwork’s latest release "A Predator’s Portrait". On my review of "Chainheart Machine" I said that at the pace they are progressing, I’m beginning to fear the intensity and musical genius of their third release! Holy shit was I right (sometimes it happens to me too)!!! Can anyone just come over and hit me with something hard right in a face cause I don’t believe what I’m hearing. I gave them 10 last time… so what am I suppose to give them now? This is beyond scales; it’s bigger than my miserable life and your happy one too!

Before I tell you something more about this album, please move your sorry ass from the computer and go buy it cause I don’t think I’ll have enough words to describe this musical genius.

With "Bastard Chain" Soilwork starts exactly where they left off on "Chainheart Machine" fast and dynamic, which made my hair rise (or at least something that I used to call hair). And then, my beloved metal maniacs, was the time for a new even more impressive Soilwork.

Yes, you read it right there are a lot of changes since their last opus and oh, Almighty have mercy on my soul, all for the better.

Bjorn "Speed" Strid added clean vocals, which are not romantic clean voices but rather deep and, at times, angry lines, which are used in incredible composed choruses. Those clean vocals in "Like The Average Stalker", "The Analyst" or "Grand Failure Anthem" accompanied by double bass and brilliant melodies make them the most powerful part of the songs.

By adding a much greater variety of tempos, Henry Ranta’s drum section is even more powerful than ever before and Carlos Holmberg’s keyboards like on "Structure Divine" only enhance the overall sound by creating an atmospheric background, which didn’t exist in their previous compilations.

What Peter Wichers, Ola Frenning and Ola Flink are doing on the guitars is beyond this review. No limits – only those two words can describe their musicianship. Their compositions are so tight that even my ass tightened up while I was trying to catch every single note that was coming out of my speakers. They are already one of the best guitar teams in the world and I don’t remember when the last time I was so often catching myself saying, "How the fuck did they come up with those riffs"?

After writing all that stuff about the "Predator’s Portrait" saying that Soilwork just gave us another masterpiece and you have to have it in your collection is just waste of your and my time which we can spend much better by listening to this CD.


Bottom Line: Is it me or did those guys just bare their white Swedish asses and kissed the competition goodbye?


Rating: 10 out of 10