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Soilwork: Speed Strid (vocals); Peter Wichers, Ludvig Svartz (guitar); Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg (keyboards, syntesizer, programming); Ola Flink (bass); Jimmy Persson (drums). Recorded at Studio Fredmen, Sweden. One of, if not the most impressive Swedish metal debut, Soilwork's Steel Bath Suicide belongs on everyone's short list of must-have '90s metal offerings. The Soilwork brand of death metal will remind a few listeners of countrymen In Flames for sure, but vocalist Björn Strid, guitarists Peter Wiche and Ola Frenning, drummer Henry Ranta, bassist Ola Fink, and keyboardist Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg mark off a little thrash-tinged Viking metal territory of their own on Steel Bath Suicide, before furthering their sound, which is remarkable on the follow-up The Chainheart Machine. Highlights from this debut include "In Close Encounter" and "The Wings of Domain," which both feature spectacular work from Wiche and Frenning. Each member contributes nicely to Steel Bath Suicide, making the group one of Swedish metal's most technically well-rounded. A strong recording, this 1998 debut is highly recommended. ~ Vincent Jeffries
