Boy, was I glad when this new shiny disc fell on my doormat! Being a big fan of the band for several years now, I was very anxious to see what they would do after the completely different “Natural Born Chaos” album. Would they go back to what they did with the unbeatable “A Predator’s Portrait”, or would they try to expand the soothing melodies from the last album? The answer has finally arrived…

When pushing play, a melodic “Rejection Role” opening riff kicks in with melodic guitars, yet an up tempo beat provided by the drums. Immediately, the answer to my big question whether they changed had been answered. “Figure Number Five” brings the same freshness from the last album (“Overload” and “Strangler”) and combines it with the speed and power (the title track “Figure Number Five”) of “A Predator’s Portrait”, yet it’s not as heavy.

Front man Speed is very much in shape on this record and shows a lot of diversity with melodic choruses and snappy, aggressive screams in the verses. Older Soilwork fans may not appreciate this as much, but the band has matured a great deal and changed from a speeding death metal band to a diverse machine with catchy songs from start to finish.

Soilwork definitely spat out another good album, yet somewhat different from the other, older work. If you liked “Natural Born Chaos” and other Gothenburg bands like In Flames and Dark Tranquillity, I recommend that you pick up “Figure Number Five”. It’s definitely worth it and will appeal to a bigger audience. But if you’re looking for the older, thrashier Soilwork, don’t even think about getting this one.