Review: SOiL – Whole
Artist: SOiL
Album: Whole
Rating: 10/10
SOiL is a band on the rock scene that should need no introduction. When original vocalist Ryan McCombs left the band, though, they seemed to lose some of their luster. Well, after a few years and an album/touring cycle with Drowning Pool, McCombs is back and ready to prove that the SOiL is still plenty fertile! This band has always been known to make catchy, headbanging music that lies on the border of insanity and pure genious. They pulled out all the stops and have proven that they still have what it takes to keep their spot high atop the mountains of rock. With their latest album, “Whole”, the band has rediscovered and reimagined that classic SOiL sound and taken it to another level! With angry anthems like “The Hate Song”, “Ugly” and the opener “Loaded Gun”, they’ve found the beast within and put it in full attack mode! McCombs vocals are still just as gritty as ever, with just that bit of southern drawl that makes his voice really stand out. Lyrically, this album is an absolute masterpiece and will easily be a pinnacle to what has proven to be an outstanding return to form for them. Songs like “Way Gone”, which get a bit more melodic at times and then just explode with ferocity, keep this album from getting too boring or sappy. I will, however, say that one of the most standout tracks to me is the closing track “One Love”, which is more of a ballad to an extent. It’s incredibly powerful and pulls at the heart strings when you really give it a close listen. One thing is for certain, SOiL has anything but lost their ability to make a solid rock album. For this album to be anything less than a catchy, angry, molotov rollercoaster would be a letdown, but these guys definitely pulled together and made it more incredible than we could have dreamed. Do you feel “Whole” when listening to the new album? If you haven’t get your asses over to iTunes or your local record store and go pick your copy up this Tuesday, August 20th!
