B-sides and rarities collections are usually filed under ‘for fans only’, but such is the quality of Soilwork’s recent resurgence that there’s still plenty on offer on here to appeal to a wider audience.
It starts off with two new tracks that continue where 2015’s excellent The Ride Majestic left off, flittering between rich textures, understated melodies and the blasts of percussive might.
The five-track Beyond The Infinite EP that was previously only available in Asia sees the band at their most competent, combining the songwriting sensibilities they’ve honed over the past decade with the dual guitar hooks that have influenced so many pretenders, while the expansive ideas and progressive flourishes of Resisting The Current are tempered by a simplistic hard rock foundation. Inevitably there are tunes that fall short of the mark, particularly new mixes of some plodding numbers from the band’s divisive mid-00s period, but hidden gems such as The End Begins Below The Surface are prime examples of a band currently back to their best.
