SOIL
SOIL “Restoration”
By Dark Starr
This album from nu-metal band SOILis solid from start to finish. There is a good mix of sounds, yet everything fits together nicely. I hear a lot of alternative rock in the mix, along with plenty of GUNS N' ROSES styled hard rock. It's all delivered with a lot of style and class.
High energy, the opening, "Breaking Me Down" has a driving, rubbery bass sound. It's a little bit rock and roll, along with some Gothic rock and plenty of metal. There is a real mean sound to it. "Way Gone" comes in heavy and energized. It drops to a mellower, more stripped back arrangement for the entrance of the vocals. There is a blues rock angle to it, but it fires back out into fiercer, more metallic jamming from there. The song gets pretty intense before it's over.
"Redefine" is next, and alternative rock, raunch and roll and metal all merge on this groove. It's another killer tune that doesn't let up on the intensity. I'm reminded a little of GUNS N ROSES at times. I really love the song that bears the title "Halo.' It's not a huge change, but just seems to work so well. It has a great groove and really rocks with metallic rage energy.
While "The Lesser Man" is not a ballad, it does have balladic movements and more rocking ones. GnR is again a good reference point. There is a lot of alternative rock in the mix, too. Frantic, heavy and intense, "Wide Open" is a powerhouse. Again, it's not a huge change, but more of an escalation, and it works particularly well. Alternative rock and metal are merged on "Unreal." The track is another that doesn't reinvent anything but just works well.
More percussive, "Pride" is also fierce and really rocking. I can make out more of that GnR thing at times on the song. Coming in heavy, but a little restrained, "Shine On" explodes out into more powerhouse jamming further down the road. "The One" is next. Driving, fierce and so cool, the song is one of my favorites here. It's another where the whole concept is intact, but they just really elevate it to new levels.
Another fierce and heavy stomper, "Deny Me" is all class. It's literally screaming hot. In fact, I think it is the best thing here. They manage to include an almost psychedelic drop down section. I can't imagine a better closer than this. It's the most grinding metal thing on the disc. Yet, it has all the trademarks we've heard throughout. That psychedelia returns at the end to close it out.