When I took stock of gigs over the years, I realized with their various line ups, I’ve seen SOiL a fair old number of times in the past. This included second stage and main stage performances at Donnington, as well as a fair old number of smaller club gigs at venues like The Underworld or Astoria. Every time, I’ve had a good time, buoyed up by their energetic performance. No small part of that onstage energy was Shaun Glass, who constantly flew across the stage with a grin that would put the Cheshire Cat to shame. With his departure to Dirge Within, and SOiL now playing as a four piece, I’ve no doubt the onstage dynamic may well change. The question is, how would the recording differ?
Opening the album is ‘Tear’, and SOiL start off by staying true to the sound that has seen through the last decade. Guitars are hook laden, and the bass has an infectious groove to it that helped keep the band going when other nu-metal bands passed by the wayside. As ever, A J Cavalier, now doing double duty live as rhythm guitarist, growls his way through the album with an admirable swagger. He even shows a lighter, almost Southern rock tinge, on second track ‘Lesser Man’, the band being accompanied by a very seventies Hammond organ sound, and some hints of slide guitar. Business resumes as normal with the heavier riffs of ‘Like It Is’, and title track ‘Picture Perfect’, the latter opening with staccato guitar effects very reminiscent of early Korn, before developing into what must be a guaranteed radio friendly contender for single status.
The lighter side of the band comes to the fore with ‘Surrounded’ and its acoustic opening, the track including a gentle string arrangement, the lyrics being those of a simple love ballad, something that really didn’t appear in earlier releases. This lighter approach may be indicative of a writing change within the line up, and may attract a wider audience without alienating their hardcore fan base.
Following on from their well received Sonisphere slot, SOiL are playing throughout the UK in November as part of a hectic tour that sees them playing all over the US, Europe, and Australia. Which of the songs from the new material the band will be able to incorporate into their shows remains to be seen, but I imagine it’s more likely to be the simpler, harder hitting tracks that will play well live with their established audience.
http://www.myspace.com/soil
http://www.soil-music.com
