SOiL - review added 16th October 2009
Album Review: Picture Perfect (2009)
For fans of: Alt Metal... and saucy front covers
Chicago band SOiL originally came together in 1997 and, after a couple of largely overlooked EPs and a full length release, they finally hit it big in 2001 with Scars. Apparently the release was voted 'album of the year' by UK magazine Metal Hammer. Can't say I thought it was quite that good, although a few tracks - notably 'Halo' and 'Wide Open' are exceptional.
Since then lead singer Ryan McCombs and guitarist Shaun Glass have gone their separate ways leaving the current line-up of AJ Cavalier (vocals), Tim King (bass), Adam Zadel (guitar) and Tom Schofield (drums).
The sound has altered considerably since 2001 too. I haven't heard in between albums Redefine (2004) or True Self (2006), but Scars was a bombastic Southern-tinged powerfest with more volume than panache. It worked, but obviously not well enough for the guys to use it as a template for the rest of their careers.
On the evidence of Picture Perfect that's probably a good thing. This is a more mature album with a number of classically brilliant moments on it. There are slow acoustic sections, a good slab of solid rock and plenty of metal cuts to bang your fist and head to. There's little with the decibel-rich metallic punch of the best songs on Scars, but that's not to say the best songs here aren't just as good.
Opening track 'Tear' has a forceful sound and plenty of pace. It's a touch directionless but okay all the same. There's no doubt AJ Cavalier is a good vocalist. It's difficult to compare him to Ryan McCombs as he really is very different. He arguably has just as much raw talent (just a lot less volume) so there are certainly no complaints. 'Lesser Man' is better. It's a wonderfully modern sounding track with great harmonies and plenty of MTV potential.
'Like It Is' has a big nasty brilliant chorus. The rest of the song is fairly average but, fortunately, they repeat the 'chorus' about three hundred times. Next up is the title track...and what a monster it is! It starts out like a naff Korn copy, which is quite unnecessary, but soon mutates into something far better. Again, the chorus is the size of a small city and really is ridiculously memorable.
'Surrounded' is, gasp, a slow ballad-like song. It's more moody and dark than loving and squishy, and is good if unexceptional. 'Wasted' is a louder, heavier, less morose improvement on the previous track, It's still slow but throbs rather than shuffles. 'Every Moment' picks the tempo and enthusiasm up a few notches. 'Anymore' is bigger again. It's another of the 'huge chorus' tracks that litter the album and has a serene, understated potent charm. Best track? Quite possibly.
The bass line on 'Falter' is monumental. The song itself isn't exactly shabby either. It's a semi-rocking, semi-trippy track with a few interesting nuances and a cool vibe. 'Too Far Away' is - again - a lovely track lifted by a biblical chorus. It's another slower, heartfelt, number that keeps the album fresh by varying the pace. We like the simplistic rock charms of 'Calling Out'. It doesn't do anything clever but remains an appealing track. 'Temptation' is heavy and voracious but anonymous. Final track 'Last Wish' is nice enough but lacks substance in comparison to some of the better tracks on Picture Perfect.
Very good album this. It lacks the last n% of magic, but only if you're splitting hairs. Some of the songs, and several of the choruses are off the scale but there are also a couple of moments that perhaps should have been improved upon. The splendid outweighs the suspicious by a long way however and, on balance, this is a much more complete, if softer album than Scars. How Perfect Perfect compares to SOiL's other albums I cannot say, but it's definitely worth a purchase regardless.
Check out... The variety of speed, style and heaviness on Picture Perfect. Good stuff :)
Track List:
01. Tear
02. Lesser Man
03. Like It Is
04. Picture Perfect
05. Surrounded
06. Wasted
07. Every Moment
08. Anymore
09. Falter
10. Too Far Away
11. Calling Out
12. Temptation
13. Last Wish
Label: AFM Records
Artist's website(s): SOil , MySpace
