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SoilworkThe Ride Majestic

★★★☆ A darker, and yet more expansive turn from the usually uber-predictable kings of melodeath. Everyone in the band is in top form, of course, with special props to Dick Verbeuren and Sylvain Coudret on drums and rhythm guitars, respectively. As for the songsmithing, the departures from their norm are generally very welcome, and at times remind me of Dream Theater, Gojira, and other proggy bands (each at their own darkest).

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Re: Re: Loud Park

I realize now I failed to include any negative comments in my earlier Loud Park reports. That was probably partly due to positive bias caused by the immediate post-show high, but I like to think my choices about which acts to watch also had something to do with it. However, as is always the case with festivals, there were some problem areas:

  1. Sound Mix Problems: Although Loud Park @ Saitama Super Arena is generally known for its excellent sound, this year the mix for the bands on one of the two stages, the Big Rock stage, had problems.
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Re: Quick Question

That’s a tough one to answer, honestly. They’re all good, and all slightly different from each other. Worse, it’s not like the shifts from album to album are linear progressions, per se. Sworn To A Great Divide feels like the album that’s the closest to The Living Infinite in terms of their blend of metal and melody, but The Panic Broadcast is a great album in its own right (and more of a rager).