The album begins with the title track Overgivenheten a foray of acoustic guitars and other fretted instruments like the banjo and mandolin. It slides guitar, which is accompanied slowly by orchestral keys with a beautiful interplay between all instruments. The drums then gradually
enter the mix, beginning the build-up before the full band unleash with the godly voice of the one and only Bjorn Strid (Speed). This track has it all and is what we now come to expect from this very underrated band. Epic choruses, driving drums, thumping bass and catchy hooks which stick in your head for days long after. A well-constructed opening track to begin us on our journey of this great collection of both diverse and talented tracks on offer.
Second up is “Nous Sommes La Guerre”, a more laid-back rocker of a vibe beginning with a female spoken dialogue which I believe is in French. Very melancholic dropped tempo verse driven by syncopated beats from talented stick man Bastain Thusgard. Hypnotic clean vocal
delivery from lead frontman and longest-serving member Bjorn leads us into another anthemic chorus with beautiful layered melodic phrases. Throughout, this song keeps on giving. The excellent guitar work on display here is second to none from the now sadly departed David Andersson. He left this world with his last contribution and staple of his work which is highlighted throughout this record with the genius he possessed. A very talented musician and brilliant songwriter, David Andersson surely left his mark on this album and many more before it, inspiring many generations of aspiring young musicians and songwriters.
It there was ever a track to open a circle pit, then the intro to the third offering here, “Electric Again” would be it! The song drives on with momentum through the verse and another singable and catchy chorus before Bjorn screams Electric again to summon and renter the blast beat intro. The bridge section opens with a beautiful string arrangement before we hurled back into the pit once more as the guitars shred your face off. The tempo keeps pumping all the way to the end of this whirlwind composition.
Only as you are about to catch your breath can you imagine yourself being among a few thousand fans bouncing along to the next offering, “Valleys of Gloom”, with its enticing forward momentum introduction. I would imagine this would probably be single for the masses and stadium pleasers clocking in at just over four minutes. Clean, appealing vocals and driving rhythms keep you wanting more. The guitar solo break is constructed brilliantly here, with its first bending notes so well placed and executed, taking you along for the ride. The chorus then takes us to the end once more. You can hear those melodies stuck in your head for days to come.
“Is It in Your Darkness” keeps you pushing to the front row and back and forth from the pit. Bjorn’s inescapable rough and clear vocal delivery is accompanied by the excellent musicianship on show here. Charitable layered choruses and driving rhythms which don’t relent until the bridge sections take us in another direction with sweeping guitar interchanging melodies from David and another six-string specialist Sylvan Coudret and keys wizard Sven Karlsson. Just as you are about to sway along to these melodies, you are hurled once more back into the pit until the song finally comes to a halt.
As you are about to come back to your senses, the intro of “Vultures” comes blasting from the speakers and once more, you cannot help yourself but keep this pit going. The drums come to the fore here in the mix as the guitars and bassist Rasmus Ehrnborn lay the groove in the background.
Then out of nowhere, this beautifully sung chorus from Bjorn brings out all the emotions as you can almost feel a shiver down your spine as he sings the opening words, “Hold me nameless, hold me close”. While you are drying the tears from your eyes from the melody once more, the pit around you starts to erupt, and you are taken along the world wind ride until the song finally closes with a slow instrumental section. We have two instrumental tracks on this record. Next up, “Morgongåva / Stormfågel.” and “The Everlasting Flame” sequenced further down the track. Both short pieces clock in just about a minute long each. A chance to catch your breath and reflect on all that has
come before. The track in hand is beautifully written, with the more expressive and emotive interplay between all instruments involved.
“Death, I Hear You Calling” has a riff-like quality that recalls the track “Death Diviner” from a 2020 offering from the band “A whisp of the Atlantic” with its classy rock groove-like rhythm. The inescapable groove flows throughout the track from chorus to verse and back again, which you can not but help to bounce your head along too. Bjorn showcases his vocal abilities here once more, from high-octave heavy metal screams through too clean and rough vocal techniques as the band keeps pumping out the groove until the song’s closure. Next up, “This Godless Universe” opens with a classical-sounding piano arrangement from Sven before, once again, you guessed it, you are hurled back into the pit as the drums start it all off, and the band follow. Strings come to the fore here with a sweeping motif over the black metal-sounding delivery from the other instruments. Bjorn once again shows here his vocal capability with the high-pitch-singable chorus. The double kick work from Bastian is relentless and executed expertly and pushes through to the closing stages of this track. The dark ambient notes of “Dreams OF Nowhere” greet us next but don’t let these fool you, as this track offers many different colours. This track has all the Soilwork trademarks we have grown to love. Bombastic and epic choruses, emphatic groove-like rhythms, pulsating rhythm sections, rocking riffs and emotive flowing guitar melodies which sweep you along with infectious hooks. Influences from black metal to rock are on display here, and once again, you are left wanting more once the composition finishes.
“The Everlasting Flame” as mentioned above, is the next instrumental in the album’s tracklist. This melancholic piece retakes you on another journey of reflection with its endearing string motif and arrangement over a piano accompaniment “Golgata” opens with a prog style-like feel with its syncopated guitar, drum and bass sections playing a call and response between them.
Following this, the trash-sounding verse then expertly builds up to the immense and hook able chorus. “Golgata” is probably one of the more experimented tracks on the record, with a lot of different elements and alternating tempos throughout. Each instrument fights for space in the mix and in, which also has its own moment to shine. The bluesy guitar solo bridge section adds another dynamic feel, followed by the moving keys, which flow into the chorus, now repeated twice as the clock ticks down on this track.
A Short Descending brooding drone opens the next track, “Harvest Spine”, as its stomping riff enters to get that pit warmed up again. Fast, aggressive guitar riffs intertwined with a straight drum beat and pumping bass lines. The haunting tremolo guitar picking of the pre-chorus builds up and leads us perfectly into another alluring and catchable chorus as Bjorn swaps between clean and harsh vocals effortlessly. The track continues to deliver throughout with another lesson in constructing guitar solos from both David and Sylvan as they lay down
their statement once more as some of the genre’s finest axemen.
The closing and longest track, “On the Wings of a Goddess / Through Flaming Sheets of Rain” is a masterful piece of songwriting. It begins with soft keys and once more spoken dialogue in French by the same female voice. The influence of the Gothenburg sound, in which Soilwork is one of the forefathers of the genre takes over. Dual guitars layered efficiently with the forward momentum rhythm unit of Bastian and Rasmus as the verse drives onward. Polyphonic and contrapuntal rhythms follow with a mix of layered harsh and clean vocals, which soar throughout the chorus and beyond. Enter that formidable groove again from the previous track “Death, I Hear You Calling” to the breakdown bluesy influenced
guitar solo break back to the Gothenburg sound. This track shows the diverse structures and talent this band possess in the way they can piece together these elements effortlessly. Overall, Overgivenheten is a masterful record in many ways and showcases a band at the height of their game and a force to be reckoned with.
Tracklist:
1. Övergivenheten
2. Nous Sommes la Guerre
3. Electric Again
4. Valleys of Gloam
5. Is It in Your Darkness
6. Vultures
7. Morgongåva/Stormfågel
8. Death, I Hear You Calling
9. This Godless Universe
10. Dreams of Nowhere
11. The Everlasting Flame
12. Golgata
13. Harvest Spine
14. On The Wings of A Goddess Through Flaming Sheets Of Rain
Release Year: 2022
Label: Nuclear Blast
Category: Album
Country: Sweden
Reviewed by John Browne
