SOILWORK — Figure Number Five (review)

SOILWORK — Figure Number Five album cover Album · 2003 · Melodic Death Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
UMUR
"Figure Number Five" is the 5th full-length studio album by Swedish melodic death metal act Soilwork. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in April 2003. It´s the successor to "Natural Born Chaos" from 2002 and features the same six-piece lineup, who recorded the predecessor. "Figure Number Five" would be the last Soilwork to feature drummer Henry Ranta.

While "Figure Number Five" is still overall a melodic death metal album, Soilwork continue the increase of the use of keyboards and melody and they reach a new point of maturity of that sound on this album. Many of the themes and ideas of "Figure Number Five" were already tested on the two preceding studio albums, but the band have streamlined their songwriting and the accessibility of their material to a point where it´s sometimes difficult to know if you are listening to a death metal album or a melodic heavy metal release. Some tracks feature incredibly melodic vocal lines and choir work, while others like the title track are actually pretty hard edged death metal tracks. The start/stop riff style and some of the vocal phrasing points in a "core" direction, but it´s leanings and not dominant stylistic elements.

"Figure Number Five" features a clear, heavy, and detailed sound production, which suits the music well and the musicianship is on a high level too. Björn "Speed" Strid is a skilled vocalist with a varied repetoire of singing styles ranging from death metal growling, to aggressive raw vocals, to powerful and melodic clean vocals. It´s not a surprise that his vocal performance is strong on "Figure Number Five", but he definitely reaches a new level of excellence here, compared to the preceding releases by the band.

Not all tracks are equally remarkable but there are several standout tracks on the album and the remaining tracks aren´t of a bad quality or anything like that. "Figure Number Five" is both a stylistically and quality wise consistent release. The development of sound that was initiated on "A Predator's Portrait (2001)" with more keyboard, clean vocals, and focus on melody and further developed upon on "Natural Born Chaos (2002)", now feels like it has reached it´s natural conclusion. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is deserved.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Stereo Grief Metalcore
GREYHAVEN (KY)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Unearthly Litanies of Despair Death Metal
ENGULFED
Buy this album from MMA partners
It Beckons Us All....... Black Metal
DARKTHRONE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Death Is Not The End Doom Metal
GLOSSA
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Way Forward Sludge Metal
BLACK TUSK
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Agremorta - Adrocitas (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Ploratus Umbra (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
Agremorta - Vertex Membrana (Official Lyric Video)
AGREMORTA
Bosh66· 2 days ago
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR - The Temple Of Curved Space (Official Track Stream)
HAIL SPIRIT NOIR
adg211288· 2 days ago
In Sulfur - The Gate (OFFICIAL VIDEO) 2022
IN SULFUR
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed