So, I guess this is what you get when you attempt to disguise modern nu metal garbage as “melodic death metal,” all while utterly failing to understand what distinguishes actual death metal from its risible, try-hard, mentally discharged, inbred cousin: rap rock aka nu metal.

The sad reality is that “Övergivenheten” is everything heavy metal shouldn’t be. Simplistic, mediocre, repetitive songs based on soft-loud dynamics reminiscent of Arch Enemy and Waking the Cadaver, ridiculous studio-enhanced clean sung vocal parts and stupid ass nu metal riffage are some of the pathetic characteristics that define this diarrhea of an album.

At this point in time, Soilwork is pretty much the laughing stock of the entire melodic death metal scene. Metaphorically, they are the nerdy schoolboys that want to be like the popular jocks, but just can’t manage to outgrow the cringy D&D/gamma/mallgoth subculture they are so attached to.

Here is a tip for the metal nerds (aka Soilwork)… learn to be cool. Or at the very least, not cringe. It’s actually possible, just mimic the people that succeed in doing so. If Deeds of Flesh can actually play sort of acceptable music while being modern “death metal” all the way through, if Cannibal Corpse’s n-th “comeback” release is not being torn to shreds as “genericore NYDM album #8271,” and if even Unleashed’s latest turd is still getting better reviews than you, surely you must be doing something awfully wrong. Like playing nu metal. What the hell?

Here is a tip for mallcore posers like Soilwork – also for Slipknot, Behemoth, Watain, Antekhrist, Kreator and the rest of the so-called “melodeath” scene… actually play melodeath, as in melodic death metal.

Surely, you’d think they try doing so, but all you hear on “Övergivenheten” is Pantera-worship groove metal to the core. Actually, some metalcore, so make that groove-core. Due take notice on how that is neither melodic enough, nor death enough. If anything, it’s not even metal enough.

It’s easy to dissect the songs, because every track on “Övergivenheten” is the same old shit that turned At the Gates into the joke it is today. Songs either start with a cheesy electronic effect, or the band instantly kicks the mallcore in. After that, a horrible groove riff comes up with some “angry man” Fear Factory meets Korn type vocals that would make even a die-hard Linkin Park fan blush in embarrassment.

Basically, this is not death metal (melodic or otherwise). “Övergivenheten” is Exhibit A nu metal. Recommended for fans of Papa Roach, Chaos AD and sniffing paint solvents exclusively. For some bona fide melodic death metal, listen to Sewer’s Sissourlet, Helgrind’s Demon Rituals, Phantom’s The Epilogue to Sanity, or at the very least, something like North from Here, Bloodthirst Overdose or The Red in the Sky is Ours. Down with faux metal poser bands like Soilwork!