Soilwork "Figure Number Five"

Figure Number Five is the fifth full-length album released by the Swedish melodic death metal band Soilwork. The record was released on 22 April 2003 through Nuclear Blast label. On this release, the band introduces more alternative metal sound than their melodic death metal style.

A few different editions of this album existed upon release. The normal release with eleven tracks, as well as a limited edition release with a second CD including their 1997 demo In Dreams We Fall into the Eternal Lake plus two songs from the Steelbath Suicide demo session. The limited vinyl version of the album features two discs - this album and Natural Born Chaos, black and the other a white-colored vinyl. The Japanese version of the album includes one bonus track, entitled "Bursting Out."

This album marked keyboardist Sven Karlsson's first attempts at songwriting for the band. While it is not necessarily interconnected with the keyboardist songwriting, this album features more use of the keyboard and lighter melodies. The album is considered a more commercial sound by most fans of Swedish death metal, but it arguably gives the music a broader appeal. However, vocalist Björn Strid has said the album has good melodies but lacks in intensity and could've been better composed; many fans and critics considered the album "rushed".

Music videos were made for the songs "Rejection Role" and "Light the Torch." In Flames appeared in the "Rejection Role" video, which featured the two bands being seemingly hostile towards each other (early in the video, a member of In Flames can be seen holding up a sign that says "Sellout" as the band drives by Soilwork). On the In Flames video of "Trigger" Soilwork appeared and were made interchangeably as a joke to the fans that either band had any indifferences with each other. This was the last album to feature Henry Ranta on drums.

In 2005, Figure Number Five was ranked number 398 in Rock Hard magazine's book of The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Björn "Speed" Strid.

1. "Rejection Role" Peter Wichers 3:35
2. "Overload" Karlsson 3:44
3. "Figure Number Five" Wichers 3:12
4. "Strangler" Wichers 3:48
5. "Light the Torch" Karlsson 3:41
6. "Departure Plan" Karlsson 4:24
7. "Cranking the Sirens" Karlsson/Patrik Jerksten 3:26
8. "Brickwalker" Karlsson 3:45
9. "The Mindmaker" Wichers 3:32
10. "Distortion Sleep" Karlsson 3:46
11. "Downfall 24" Wichers 3:55

Music videos were made for the songs "Rejection Role" and "Light the Torch". The band members of In Flames were included in the "Rejection Role" video, which forms a pair with their video for "Trigger".

Recording information:

Produced by Soilwork.

Guitars and keyboards recorded in December and January, 2003 at Queenstreet Recording.

Drums recorded in January, 2003 at Dug-Out Productions.

Vocals and bass recorded in January and February, 2003 at Studio Fredman.

Mixed at Studio Fredman by Patrick J Sten, Fredrik Nordström and Soilwork.

Mastered at The Mastering Room.