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I could very easily be wrong about this but, for me, it has seemed like Soilwork have struggled to find balance since the Natural Born Chaos album. Figure Number Five just never clicked, Stabbing the Drama was just a bit too commercial, and so on. Sworn to a Great Divide found the band rediscover their super aggressive side but unquestionably missed that uncanny sense of melody that Peter Wichers brings to the band. So, with the return of Wichers and the earlier return to a more aggressive punch, The Panic Broadcast was all set to be a career defining album for the band, right? Well, in fact, that is right.
The Panic Broadcast wastes no time establishing the fact that Soilwork are once again firing on all cylinders with the punishing “Late for the Kill, Early for the Slaughter” before picking up the pace a bit more for the melodic, “classic Soilwork,” sound of “Two Lives Worth of Reckoning.” “The Thrill” and “King of the Threshold” bring some more groove-oriented soloing into the picture amidst a flurry of aggression that firmly reminds you that Soilwork is one of the FOUNDING bands of the Gothenburg sound (alongside Dark Tranquility and the too oft forgotten Dark Tranquility) and still own it. “Let This River Flow” may be the highlight here though. I love it when Soilwork offers up a beauty and the best style track because no one does it quite like them and this song is a prime example of the passion that permeates the work Wichers and Strid have done together while bring a new dynamic to the table.
The Panic Broadcast is very similar to, but groovier than, Natural Born Chaos. Fans of Steelbath Suicide and The Chainheart Machine will likely continue to hate the bands evolved works (including this one), but at least they still have those albums!
Bottom Line: Overall, if you have struggled with Soilwork over the last few albums then you’ll be beside yourself with glee when you hear The Panic Broadcast.
Reviewed by: Mark Fisher
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