Soulbreach
My Dividing Line

October 2007
Released: 2007, Mascot Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Anders Sandvall

Soulbreach is another debuting band from Sweden. Soulbreach were formed from the leftovers of the thrash metal act Mausoleum. In late 2004 Soulbreach started to perform and they soon got a reputation for being a great live act. The band decided to record their debut album before they were signed. Mascot Records signed the band 2006 and aside from releasing the band’s self-financed debut the label recorded a video for the song “Skin Deep”.

Soulbreach plays modern thrash metal with both aggressive and clean vocals and you can sense a large dose of the infamous Gothenburg sound in the production. But that’s maybe not so strange when the band lists The Haunted and In Flames as influences in addition to Testament, Nevermore, Soilwork and Metallica. Even if they haven’t invented anything new, it feels fresh and forward and they deliver their goods excellently. As fan of well-played thrash metal I do appreciate it a lot. The musicians are talented and the material is very consistent throughout the entire album.

The production by Pelle Saether in Studio Underground is razor-sharp and energetic and lacks no essential element. The only negative thing I can come up with is that the cover art doesn’t fit a band of this caliber. MY DIVIDING LINE is a masterpiece and a genius debut album. I think Soulbreach can be a name to remember in the future, so keep your eyes open.