Although not a major fan of this style of metal I found myself purchasing this album having enjoyed seeing the band supporting Slipknot at Birmingham NEC a couple of years back, so it was with some trepidation that I popped it into the CD player and sat back tol listen

Opener 'F(r)iend' is introduced by a young lady asking "why did the war start?" before the the double bass drum and grinding guitars kick in. The vocals are typically indecipherable even though I was following the lyrics in the enclosed booklet. Funnily enough I actually like this song as the guitars carry much of the melody and even introduce a little bit of harmony into proceedings. Second song in is 'The Quiet Place' and this has a much more melodic feel about it. The song makes use of subtle keyboards behind the guitars and subsequently sounds not unlike Cradle Of Filth. 'Dead Alone' makes use of numerous time changes and vocal styles within the confines of the one song. At times it is blisteringly heavy and furious then it drops into a more melodic section before the weight picks up again. 'Touch of Red' starts with a guitar riff not unlike early Metallica, however the vocals again live in the death metal grunt zone. Moving on past 'Evil In A Closet', which sounds like it fell out of the Master Of Puppets sessions, 'In Search For I' ups the tempo as the riffs go into overdrive, the kick drums figure prominently and the anger in the vocals is unmistakeable. 'Borders And Shading' describes this song to a tee as the vocals switch from a true singing style in the verses to a deep rumble in the chorus. The guitars cut like razors and again the harmony style once again  works well. 'Superhero Of The Computer Rage'  and 'Dial 595-Escape' both come across as angry little numbers with the vocal lines being spat out with venom against a back drop of thick guitars and driving bass lines. 'Bottled', the penultimate song on this version of the album slows the pace down but in doing so does not relinquish heaviness. The riffs almost groove whilst the melody is set in a lower register than most of the rest of the album. The album finishes with 'Discover Me Like Emptiness'. The song starts with a haunting intro before the guitars takeover. The slow verse leads into a mid tempo chorus, before a quiet guitar interlude leads us back into the chorus section. .

In conclusion this is not an album that you can put on as background music, it demands to be listened to, if for no other reason than the multitude of differing guitar parts on offer. It wasn't until I had listened to this for the second time that I realised that there are  actually no real guitar solos on the album. This certainly does not detract from the quality of musicianship on show as the twin guitars fire out the riffs in quick succession. I still don't feel at ease with the vocal stylings, preferring a more melodic approach but I found myself enjoying the songs on offer. If you prefer your music with an aggressive, at times almost violent edge then this album will sit well in any collection.

Let us know your views on 'Soundtrack To Your Escape'

Track List

F(r)iend
The Quiet Place
Dead Alone
Touch Of Red
Like You Better Dead
My Sweet Shadow
Evil In A Closet
In Search For I
Borders And Shading
Superhero Of The Computer Rage
Dial 595-Escape
Bottled
Discover Me Like Emptiness

Line  Up

Anders Friden - Lead Vocals
Bjorn Gelotte - Guitar
Jesper Stromblad - Guitars
Peter Iwers - Bass
Daniel Svensson - Drums