SOILWORK LIVE Trocadero Theater, March 13th

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Swedish melodic death metal band Soilwork recently kicked off their extensive North American Infinity Tour 2013 and after attending the recent show at the historic Trocadero Theater in Philadelphia, PA,  it can definitely be said with certainty that Soilwork know how put on a highly entertaining performance.  Rounding out the evenings bill, in addition to Soilwork,  were performances from Jeff Loomis, Blackguard, Bonded By Blood, and Hatchet.

Hatchet Live Photos 05California thrashers Hatchet, who have recently released a fantastic new album titled Dawn Of The End, opened up the show followed by a full on metal assault from Bonded By Blood.    The performance from Bonded By Blood was full of such youthful energy and vigor that it was infectious to anyone there to witness these thrash metallers tear up the stage.  How could anyone not want to leap to their feet and head band themselves into oblivion while listening to the insane riffs pouring forth from the stage.  When you add into the equation some killer guitar solos, a heart pumping bass thump, and the guttural growls from lead vocalist Mauro Gonzales this band is the entire package.

Blackguard Live Photos 27The evening was turned up another notch once Blackguard took to the stage.  Despite the venue not quite being filled to capacity, Blackguard soon had those in attendance swept up into the full-blown chaos of their performance.  It only took about three to four songs from this Montreal metal band till quite a few circle pits began encompassing the venue floor.  It was pure brutality at its’ very finest.  No sooner was the crowd winding down from Blackguard’s performance then guitar extraordinaire Jeff Loomis graced the stage.  The solo instrumental guitar work from Jeff Loomis is absolutely spellbinding to watch in the live setting.  He takes guitar playing to an almost hypnotic levels and his masterful guitar skills had the audience at full attention.

Jeff Loomis Live Photos 10While it is not often that you witness a purely instrumental artist at a metal show, Jeff Loomis rocked the freaking house.  His guitar prowess needed not to be lost behind any words or lyrics, the music does more than enough to speak for itself.  His performance gave new meaning to the definition that music is a universal language and no matter what can evoke emotions within the listener.

The small but mighty crowd held it down through all of the evenings opening bands and finally the time arrived for Soilwork to take to the stage.  The moment that their performance began Soilwork took complete control of the stage from the opening notes of This Momentary Bliss to the closing encore of Stabbing The Drama.  It has been quite awhile since Soilwork has hit the North American side of the globe and it was very evident that they have been missed.  Watching the crowd erupt with excitement as the band blew through their extensive catalog was mind-blowing and it was great to hear not often played songs such as Weapon Of Vanity and Possessing The Angels.  The set list was phenomenal with a performance that was well worth the wait. Not to diminish the other four highly talented bands that made up the evenings bill, but without a doubt Soilwork really brought down the house.  Soilwork are currently out on the road in support of their stellar new double album release, The Living Infinite, which was unleashed early last week via Nuclear Blast.

Soilwork Live Photos 23The Living Infinite is the band’s follow-up to their 2010 release,The Panic Broadcast was produced by Jen Bogren who has worked with the likes of Opeth and Amon Amarth. The album also marks the recording debut of long-time touring guitarist David Andersson and to witness the chemistry within this band in the live atmosphere, it was extremely apparent that Soilwork has definitely found a chemistry that works.  Soilwork are true masters of crowd interaction and they keep things fast and ferocious throughout their entire set.  Vocalist Bjorn “Speed” Strid holds the audience in the palm of his hand and the rest of the band which include bassist Ola Fink, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, guitarists David Andersson and Sylvain Coudret, and keyboardist Sven Karlsson are sounding incredibly fresh and tight.  It seems that 2013 is poised to be a huge year for Soilwork and if this performance and the new album are any indication of where this band it headed, they are sure to be soaring to new heights of success.

Fans can purchase The Living Infinite via the Nuclear Blast webstore.

Click here for Live Photos of Soilwork.

Click here for Live Photos of Jeff Loomis.

Click here for Live Photos of Blackguard.

Click here for Live Photos of Bonded Blood.

Click here for Live Photos of Hatchet.

For More Information about Soilwork Visit:

http://www.soilwork.org

http://www.facebook.com/soilwork

http://www.youtube.com/user/soilwork

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