While the Barge To Hell madness was ensuing on the Pool Deck, SOILWORK vocalist Bjorn "Speed" Strid guided me down to his cabin for a worldwide exclusive listen to their new album, The Living Infinite, the band's ninth and first dual-disc release which will be unleashed on February 27th in Asia (via license to Marquee Records), in Europe on March 1st, and in North America on March 5th via Nuclear Blast Records. Easily the most challenging opus of their career, the effort features no less than 20 songs produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, BLOODBATH) and was completed just over three weeks ago.

Over beers and bourbons, Speed talks about the time split between Toronto (with his Canadian girlfriend) and back home in Sweden. It's been a tough emotional ride for the singer and the roller-coaster vibes are found deeply woven in The Living Infinite, the album seeing Soilwork's maturity at a peak.

Speed treats these ears to four new songs briefly described as follows:

'Spectrum Of Eternity': from violins to blast-beats, the lead-off track is a bloodrush to the head, desperate and relentless with a nod to AT THE GATES. Speed's hardened harmonic vocals are crystal clear but dizzying to effect and lyrically crazed. A psycho thriller if there ever was one.

'Memories Confined': Speed finding his groove from outright brutality to the sensual melodrama via an intense dream sequence with Devin Townsend smiling proudly. "There's no celebration," Speed bellows while the solo break intensifies the moment.

'This Momentary Bliss': "a typical Soilwork," Speed says, with drummer Dirk Verbeuren leading the band back into intense battle, while the singer's sarcastic delivery is the ultimate therapy session for himself and Soilwork's followers.

'Realm Of The Wasted': another speedy number, the band building on that patented Swedish "sound", with pristine percussion and firey leads. Two years of intense soul searching and musical self-reflection has culminated in a frenzied affair from a band who have found their stride again.

Check out 'Spectrum Of Eternity' streaming below: