Soil - Whole
There are some voices in the world of metal that are quite simply unmistakeable and perfectly suited to the style of music being undertaken. From the likes of Max Cavalera and his roar, through to the gravelly tones of Gavin Rossdale (ok….stretching the metal link but you see what I mean!) we’re presented with vocals that sum up our feelings, take our emotions and transform them into music that connects with our soul, and leaves us helpless to resist. As such, when Ryan McCombs returned to the ranks of Chicago based Soil, everything seemed to once again be righting itself once again, and all attention turned to their newest album, Whole.
Speaking to Ryan when Soil played in Plymouth, it was incredible to hear how enthusiastic he was about the upcoming release, stating that Soil wanted to move away from the record company way of doing things and instead, get the fans to finance the album so it could be an album written by the band, for the fans, without the confines of record label desk jockeys. What’s more, speaking to him it was clear that this was a new start, a triumphant return, and an era of Soil that promised to bring back the feelings evoked by Scars and Redefine all those years ago, appropriately titled ‘Whole’ as if to represent the completed union of a band we all know and love.
Listening to Whole there’s one thing that becomes apparent from the word go – Soil aren’t just back, they’re stronger than ever. Launching into being with Loaded Gun we’re treated to a full on aural assault of McCombs’ vocals, Kings rumbling bass rhythms, and Zadels guitar mastery. From blistering breaks through to chunky sections that will have you cranking the volume as loud as it will go, it’s a full on start that puts Soil back in their rightful place at the top of the hard rock and metal scene.
Track after track flows out of the album, through The Hate Song into Ugly, onto Way Gone and Psychopath before unleashing the power of Shine On – each track demonstrating the sense of continuity the band have found and the creativity that really comes into fruition when a band are working together. On an album where there are so many high points it’s impossible to pick specifics out, but the vocals of Wake Up and Little Liar hark back to the early days of Soil, whilst the musicianship demonstrates a new sense of power and prowess, reminiscing on the early days whilst still managing to demonstrate how much they have progressed as a band.
There’s no doubting that Whole is THE album that is going to secure Soil a place in the hall of metal glory, and whilst there’s no moment that is quite along the lines of Halo, every track packs that punch that we pray for from Soil. Technical at times whilst still managing to keep the sense of hard rock and metal at the forefront of every second of the album, Soil are back, and they’re stronger than ever.
To find out more about Soil, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
Speaking to Ryan when Soil played in Plymouth, it was incredible to hear how enthusiastic he was about the upcoming release, stating that Soil wanted to move away from the record company way of doing things and instead, get the fans to finance the album so it could be an album written by the band, for the fans, without the confines of record label desk jockeys. What’s more, speaking to him it was clear that this was a new start, a triumphant return, and an era of Soil that promised to bring back the feelings evoked by Scars and Redefine all those years ago, appropriately titled ‘Whole’ as if to represent the completed union of a band we all know and love.
Listening to Whole there’s one thing that becomes apparent from the word go – Soil aren’t just back, they’re stronger than ever. Launching into being with Loaded Gun we’re treated to a full on aural assault of McCombs’ vocals, Kings rumbling bass rhythms, and Zadels guitar mastery. From blistering breaks through to chunky sections that will have you cranking the volume as loud as it will go, it’s a full on start that puts Soil back in their rightful place at the top of the hard rock and metal scene.
Track after track flows out of the album, through The Hate Song into Ugly, onto Way Gone and Psychopath before unleashing the power of Shine On – each track demonstrating the sense of continuity the band have found and the creativity that really comes into fruition when a band are working together. On an album where there are so many high points it’s impossible to pick specifics out, but the vocals of Wake Up and Little Liar hark back to the early days of Soil, whilst the musicianship demonstrates a new sense of power and prowess, reminiscing on the early days whilst still managing to demonstrate how much they have progressed as a band.
There’s no doubting that Whole is THE album that is going to secure Soil a place in the hall of metal glory, and whilst there’s no moment that is quite along the lines of Halo, every track packs that punch that we pray for from Soil. Technical at times whilst still managing to keep the sense of hard rock and metal at the forefront of every second of the album, Soil are back, and they’re stronger than ever.
To find out more about Soil, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
