SOILWORK vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid says the band's next album is taking shape with a deliberate push toward heavier material blended with a more atmospheric, expansive sound, as songwriting continues on the follow-up to 2022's "Övergivenheten."
Speaking with Tomi Perrakoski on the Metal Madness Studios podcast, Strid described a creative process centered on avoiding repetition. "You also wanna challenge yourself every time. You don't wanna recreate things," he said, framing the new material as an attempt to move the band's sound forward rather than replicate past successes.
Strid, who described himself as "a very sort of visual guy" when it comes to shaping songs, said the new record is aiming to "bring back the heaviness a bit and sort of mix it up with a more recent atmosphere, the epicness" — suggesting a sound that reaches back toward SOILWORK's earlier, more aggressive melodic death metal roots while retaining the expansive production the band has favored on more recent releases.
Unlike some of the band's past albums, the new record will be self-produced, with recording taking place at guitarist Simon Johansson's own studio. Johansson, previously a touring member, has since become a full-time part of SOILWORK's lineup alongside bassist Rasmus Ehrnborn, a relatively recent addition to the band. Strid indicated the album will be a standard-length release rather than a double album, with songwriting well underway and multiple tracks already completed.
The band's most recent studio output includes the 2022 album "Övergivenheten" and the October 2024 standalone single "Spirit Of No Return," both of which continued SOILWORK's decades-long run as one of Sweden's most consistent melodic death metal exports.
No release date, title or label details have been announced for the new album, but Strid's comments suggest a record that self-consciously balances two eras of the band's sound — a heavier, more direct attack recalling SOILWORK's earlier work, filtered through the atmospheric polish that has defined the group's more recent chapter. With the songwriting process already underway and a dedicated home studio in place, fans may not have to wait too long for a formal announcement.