Figure Number Five by Soilwork

Figure Number Five, the fifth studio album from Helsingborg's Soilwork, came out through Nuclear Blast on 22 April 2003, and it's the sound of a melodic death metal band cracking the windows open. Björn Strid still tears his throat out on the verses, but the choruses soar, and the band folds in more alternative metal muscle: chunky, bouncing grooves under Peter Wichers and Ola Frenning's twin-guitar harmonies, Sven Karlsson's keyboards glinting on top and Ola Flink's bass keeping it heavy. "Rejection Role" and "Strangler" hit like a hammer wrapped in a hook.

It was also the last Soilwork album with Henry Ranta behind the kit; he left once it was out. Collectors had plenty to hunt for: a limited edition added a second CD with the 1997 demo In Dreams We Fall into the Eternal Lake and two songs from the Steelbath Suicide demo session, and the Japanese pressing tacked on the bonus track "Bursting Out".

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.