FROM: KRISTINE ASHTON/MAGGIE WANG
SOiL
Critical Quotes
"SCARS is the heavy metal record mainstream America has been waiting more than a decade for--not because they want it, but because they need it. In a genre in need of a facelift, Soil should set the standard for years to come."
--Paul Gargano, Metal Edge, December 2001
"Scars is a refreshingly stripped-down all-riff/no-rap affair..."
--Gary Graff, Revolver, March/April 2002
"Although Soil hails from the Windy City, Scars is untainted rock 'n' roll...'Halo,' 'Wide Open' and 'Breaking Me Down' are ripe, sweet, luscious cherries on top of your hard rock Sundae."
--CMJ Weekly, September 17, 2001
"If you like...System of a Down's bludgeoning roar, then bang your head (and others') heads to SOIL's major-label debut, Scars (J)."
--Entertainment Weekly, December 12, 2001
"Scars is 13 tracks of in-your-face Aggro riff-rock that pummels you from beginning to end. Tight, catchy tunes with tons of attitude and radio sensibility is what's in store when you pop this puppy in. These guys will be monstrous--hit it hard now!"
--Greg Sorrels, Album Network, September 7, 2001
"Ryan McCombs' burly vocals are even stronger, the tag-team guitars of Shaun Glass and Adam Zadel are razor sharp, and Tom Schofield's drums hit harder than a pro wrestler swinging in a steel chair. If self-pitying nu-metalers have you hungry for something juicier, 'Halo' is the steroid-injected slab of rock you've been waiting for."
--Frank Correia, Radio & Records, 8/3/01
"...frontman Ryan McCombs' performance takes shape through an interesting blend of traditional metal meets grunge reminiscent harmony, channeled through the jagged delivery of some of today's modern metal based acts. Heavy and cathartic, his words are crooned out with a throaty aggressiveness that sets a dark tone for the music as a whole, through his ability to string it altogether in a catchy fashion that ultimately creates an intriguing contrast."
--Wookubus, Pimp Rock Palace, October 2001
"While the focus is singer Ryan McCombs' exceptional pipes, guitarists Adam Zadel and Shaun Glass percussively down pick their way through a barrage of down-turned power chords, occasionally adding texture to the onslaught: a Middle Eastern melody graces "My Own," and diatonic octaves fill out the pop sensibilities of 'Need to Feel'."
-- Bob Keelaghan, Guitar One, December 2001
"Before the 13 songs included here even have a chance to sink in, SCARS grabs with its monstrous sound. And it's not just that this album sounds bigger (and therefore better) than the offerings from other brand new heavies. The consistent sound and feel established by band and producer allows SOiL to wander all over heavy music map without seeming aimless or unfocused...They are melodic one minute, percussive the next. But whatever direction SOiL takes--even when they slow down a bit--SCARS remains an album that's meant to test the limits of your speakers."
--Mike Magnuson, HOB.com, November 5, 2001
"SOiL's songs like 'Halo,' 'Wide Open,' 'Need To Feel,' 'My Own' and 'The One' are short with catchy, pop-sounding hooks, but they are given a heavy arrangement."
--Terry Marshall, Daily Insider, November 7, 2001
"...a collection of jackhammer guitar jams and fury-filled anthems..."
--Omar Perez, AltarNative.com, November/December 2001
"...from the musicality to the songs themselves--the world is about to discover what in many ways has been Chicago's best kept secret."
--Tom Lounges, Midwest Beat (IL), November 2001
"'Breaking Me Down' delivers deft, Astro-Creep: 2000-era nearly-danceable, percussive dynamics while 'Wide Open' contains McCombs polished array of gruff bellows and plaintive, soulful cries. 'My Own' makes use of 'Kashmir'-esque, Eastern touches while 'Inside' plays around with a mournful refrain. 'I rise/Everything is right here/Color me unsold/Everything is right here inside.' And while the guitar attacks are thick and sludgy, Glass and Zadel's syncopated fretwork has the right amount of heaviness and crunch. Overall, Scars has a stripped-down, warm and organic feel to it."
--Roberto C. Hernandez, Mean Street (Southern, CA), December 2001
# # #