These guys certainly picked the right name for their band. What I mean is they focus on issues quite a lot in their music. I think the title of the song 'Fight the Racism' gives that one away. 'Killer' is a stand against destroying mother earth. 'Way too Much Way too Sick' is a showing of what pornography really is, the selling of women. There are other songs that aren't specifically issue songs but what does stand out (yeah you knew it was coming from me) is that it's difficult at best to determine what these guys believe. Perhaps this is another band who feels their music is not supposed to be evangelical and they will talk to kids after the show...the problem is they are over in Sweden and their CD is being distributed here in the states via Solid State. Not much chance many kids here will get to hear their real message first hand huh? Still kudos to the band for the words around the hole on the CD, printed on the BACK of the CD so you have to flip it over (but you can see it from the front): "A divided man...will be complete in heaven."
OK now to the music. It's punky hardcore with the bass mixed very high. Pretty cool at times, but also pretty repetitive. The vocals are a high pitched scream similar to those of Underoath but much easier to understand. The band will back up with clean singing vocals throughout the CD. The songs are short, 16 of them on this CD only clock in at 37 minutes. Nothing at all seems remarkable about this release, however it does tend to have that european hardcore flair to it. So if you're nuts about the Blindside albums you might want to give this one a spin. Any of your local Christian bookstores should have a demo of it. Try before you buy, it's another so-so Solid State release.
5/10
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #90Reviewed by Andy ArgyrakisSometimes in order to get the gospel message across, people like to stand on a soap box to shove their views down people's throats. Unfortunately, such a practice is a mainstay with several Christian artists who replace tactfulness with forceful tactics in order to let their point of view out. Perhaps Solid State's latest hard rock band named themselves Soapbox in protest of such a "ministry"…The Phantom Tollbooth 2001Reviewed by Jessica HeikoopSoapbox is a four-man (Krister Mortsell, Andreas Rejdvik, Par E. Augustin and Simon Branstrom) hardcore band hailing from Sweden. A Divided Man, their first full-length album, was released on Solid State Records in the USA in May 2001. As I'm not really a fan of hardcore, this wasn't really my type of thing to listen to. But in all fairness, this band really does have talent in what they do.…Art for the Ears 2000Reviewed by Marco PovervestA Divided Man is the follow-up album of the six-song EP Soapbox released last year. On the new album there are 15 songs plus a bonustrack. Five of the songs were on the EP too, like Guilty. In that song they sang quite appropriately: "I want something more, I want something more to happen". Well, here they are with eleven new songs to happen. Just like on the EP they bring a nice mix of hardcore…Similar sounding releases
2002Sleeping by the RiversideA Breath Between Battles
2004Evergreen TerraceWriters Block
2005The DeadlyThe Wolves Are Here Again
2002The Curse / Go! For the Throat / Knives Out / Paint It BlackThe Philadelphia Sound
2002Love Is RedAll That's Ahead Points To Forever
2003The First StepOpen Hearts and Clear Minds
