Third record! Delivering almost one record per year, Soilwork, who has wake up the dead with their first struck (Steelbath Suicide), who has confirmed their enormous potential with their second record (The Chainheart Machine), is back with a brand new bombastic melodic death metal record: A Predator's Portrait.

In Flames influences is even bigger on A Predator's Portrait and I guess the success of Children Of Bodom has given some additional ideas to the members of Soilwork (breaks, changing rhythm, melodic solos). Not far from thrash, always heavy, fast and death metal (aggressive vocals), Soilwork's music is a magical mixture that reminds me somehow In Flame's Clayman, but much more aggressive, much more punitive.

Bastard Chain, first song, enters the show and the whole dance (record) is going to be very good and fast. Bastard Chain is what heavy/thrash/death is all about: you can almost feel love fighting hate … or hate fighting love. The melodic guitar solos are simply amazing; in fact the whole song is very aggressive (thrashy should I say) and in the same time, this is an excellent demonstration of what is today melodic death metal. Ah, when melodic death metal is played this way, no heavy metal bands can compete. None!

Second song, Like The Average Stalker, confirms Soilwork's first attack, but this time I am thinking of In Flame's Colony. Chorus is enormous, melodic and vocals effect used here (echo) are perfectly used, giving another dimension to this death metal record. What a song! After In Flames and Children Of Bodom, a new monster is born and his name is Soilwork.

Believe me, Shadowchild (eight song) will wake up many new inspirations. Imagine Soilwork playing melodic death metal and including gothic, if not atmospheric feelings, in the middle of the song and in the middle of the chorus. A kind of In Flames meets Paradise Lost. This song alone opens a new door in the history of melodic death metal. Magical, simply magical.

At least this record reinforces a "growing feeling": heavy metal is changing and these bands (Soilwork, In Flames, Children Of Bodom, The Haunted, Carnal Forge, The Forsaken, Raise Hell) are the next metal generation. No doubt about it.

This Predator is damn fast, damn melodic, damn aggressive and damn perfect. This is the result of the marriage of heaven and hell. A must for melodic death metal fans out there. Buy or die for the others. Tell me God, what the hell is happening in Scandinavia since ten years? What is the secret? Please tell me…