Tracks

1. Breaking Me Down

2. Halo

3. Need To Feel

4. Wide Open

5. Understanding Me

6. My Own

7. Unreal

8. Inside

9. Two Skins

10. The One

11. New Faith

12. Why

13. Black 7

Performer Notes

Soil: Adam Zadel (vocals, guitar); Ryan McCombs (vocals); Shaun Glass (guitar); Tim King (bass); Tom Schofield (drums).
Recorded at Groovemaster Studios, Chicago, Illinois.
Personnel: Adam Zadel (vocals, guitar); Ryan McCombs (vocals); Shaun Glass (guitar); Tom Schofield (drums).
Audio Mixers: Claudius Mittendorfer; Kevin Shirley; Johnny K .
Recording information: Groovemaster Studios, Chicago, IL.
Editor: Tadpole.
Photographer: F. Scott Schafer.
While most of the heavy rock bands making a big splash circa 2001 were squarely in the Slipknot/Korn post-apocalyptic rap-metal axis, Soil seems to have deeper roots (no pun intended). Instead of getting on the rap-metal gravy train, this fearsome fivesome seems to be influenced in equal parts by the harder side of early-'90s grunge and '70s heavy/blues-rock. In Ryan McCombs's larger-than-life vocals, one can discern traces of Scott Weiland and Layne Staley without much difficulty. And when they're not thrashing and banging like an atom bomb in overdrive, the band lays into the kind of riffs that suggest they've spent some quality time with some musty old Uriah Heep and Mountain albums. Compared to some of their rootless contemporaries, that's an unusual amount of historical consciousness.

Professional Reviews

Q (May 2002, p.121) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...Soil have got the chuntering guitars and anguished vocal delivery down pat....their muscular slabs of barking heaviosity pack a little more punch...than most second wave grunge revivalists..."

CMJ (9/17/01, p.20) - "...When you listen to Soil, you'll feel like you've got a blood and sweat-soaked ringside seat to a Clutch and Entombed death match..."

NME (Magazine) (4/27/02, p.28) - 7 out of 10 - "...Very big riffs...a great records..."