I was a little harsh on last year’s The Ride Majestic, perhaps, unwilling to give credit for the experimental steps forward because they didn’t go far enough, despite that resulting in a pretty darn good album. Just how good it was becomes clearer in retrospect, as comparing it to Death Resonance, a compilation of rarities mostly built from Japanese bonus tracks, shows its strengths. That’s not to say that the tracks on Death Resonance are dreadful, far from it. But it’s pretty plain why they were relegated to bonus track status rather than join the album tracklisting of the last five or so Soilwork albums, and it’s hard to imagine anyone but a completionist taking much notice of it. Still, as a stopgap release, Death Resonance is pretty good, and it definitely has its gems. Two new tracks recorded for it open the album, and Helsinki and Death Resonance are the best on show, kicking the collection off well with a blast, catchy choruses and aggressive verses present and correct, modern and although lacking the experimental approach of The Ride Majestic, more than good enough Soilwork-ing tracks. The title track is probably the better of the two due to its slightly more melancholic feel, although it’s close and doubtless down to personal taste as much as anything.

Thereafter, things are up and down. The End Begins Below the Surface, a Japanese bonus track from The Ride Majestic has a nicely blackened feel, although the following My News, Your Everyday Tool seems like the band coasting a little, despite the enjoyable chorus. It’s the first of several tracks from the Asia-exclusive 2014 Beyond the Infinite EP, all of which are decent as a follow-on to 2013’s pretty good The Living Infinite, but only fans of that album (which was in danger of indulgency as it was, being a double album!) will really find much to love – although Resisting the Current’s indulgent melodic riffing and Forever Lost in Vain’s catchy and intense chorus are above the others. Sweet Demise (bonus track from the Japanese version of The Panic Broadcast) is catchy enough to have been a single, and Sadistic Lullabye (re-recording of a Steelbath Suicide track for, yes, a Japanese bonus track) mixes heaviness and melody well. The tracks at the end of the collection are the comparative worst, being remixed versions of bonus tracks from the Sworn to a Great Divide and Stabbing the Drama days, and although moderately catchy are quite forgettable. A patchy collection then, but not without its charms for Soilwork fans.