Helsingborg act SOILWORK's initial trademark was to blend a heady mixture of Thrash and Death Metal but latter releases, marked by the turning point 'A Predator's Portrait' album, have seen the band mature apace by injecting huge amounts of melody making them serious contenders for greatness. As such, the band's schedule accelerated markedly to involve lengthy bouts of international touring.

Initially the group, instigated during 1995, operated billed as INFERIOR BREED but as SOILWORK opened proceedings with the 1997 demo 'In Dreams We Fall Into The Eternal Lake'. The band structure at this point involved frontman Björn Strid, going under the name of 'Speed', guitarist Peter Vicious' (a.k.a. Peter Wichers), second guitarist Ludvig Svartz and drummer Jimmy Persson. A former bassist, Carl-Gustav Döös, had decamped beforehand, as had a formative guitarist Mattias Nilsson, the latter resurfacing with KAYSER.

A copy of 'In Dreams We Fall Into The Eternal Lake' was given to ARCH ENEMY guitarist Mike Amott who, obviously impressed, passed it onto various labels spurring a number of offers. The May 1998 album 'Steel Bath Suicide', released through French label Listenable Records, was produced by Fredrik Nordström at Fredman studios. The band that constructed these tracks now incorporated Ola Flink on bass and Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg handling keyboards. Japanese versions were augmented with the traditionally expected extra tracks with 'Disintegrated Skies' and a cover version of DEEP PURPLE's 'Burn'. Road promotion had SOILWORK proffering their wares on European stages backing NAGLFAR, DARKANE and KRISIUN.

Listenable kept the band on for a further round of Death - Thrash in October 1999's 'The Chainheart Machine', again a Fredrik Nordström produced effort witnessing the employment of the 'Jaffa quartet' massed violin section of Ullik Johansson, Julia Petersson, Amanda Ingvaldsson, Fanny Petersson, Alva Ingvaldsson and Katalin Tibell. Newly installed on drums would be Henry Ranta and a new guitarist, Ola Frenning, to replace the departed Svartz. Whilst still locked in stereotypical "Gothenburg Death" territory, SOILWORK adventurously maximised on twin lead guitar harmony playing to good effect. Japanese editions added bonus cut 'Shadowchild'. The European touring circuit was to feel the force of SOILWORK once again when the band supported CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEFLESHED and MARDUK prior to their first live engagement in Japan paired with DARK TRANQUILLITY. Another notable recording executed that same year would be their interpretation of MERCYFUL FATE's 'Egypt', featured on 'The Unholy Sounds Of The Demon Bells - A Tribute To Mercyful Fate' collection issued via Poland's Still Dead Productions.

In outside activity, Peter Wichers would add session guitar to CONSTRUCDEAD's 2000 EP 'Turn'. SOILWORK signed to Germany's Nuclear Blast label for the 'A Predator's Portrait' album, launched in February 2001. This is where SOILWORK hit the crossroads of their career, not fully embracing experimentation but adopting more melody and significantly dropping Björn Strid's previously favoured Death growls for a cleaner approach. Fredrik Nordström maintained his position as producer, Eskil Simonsson provided samples and studio guests included notable figures Mattias IA Eklundh of FREAK KITCHEN, donating a guitar solo to 'Needlefeast' and OPETH's Mikael Åkerfeldt vocalising on the title track. In the Far East, 'A Predator's Portrait' hosted extra cut 'Asylum Dance'.

They would return to the studio in October 2001 with new keyboard man Sven Karlsson, of EVERGREY repute, and producer DEVIN TOWNSEND in tow, this union seeing the Canadian's influence leaving a firm impression on the band. SOILWORK's burgeoning reputation was heightened by the delivery of a March 2002 album 'Natural Born Chaos'. Strid's vocal parts were now almost wholly delivered clean and Karlsson's keyboard atmospherics figured prominently, including the use of Hammond organ on ''Black Star Deciever'. Townsend's lush production breathed new life into the band, who adopted his techniques for future outings.

The band toured America during the summer packaged with HYPOCRISY and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. One notable gig being at the San Jose Cactus Club where Chuck Billy of TESTAMENT lent backing vocals to the track 'Follow The Hollow'. SOILWORK joined IN FLAMES and PAIN for touring in mainland Europe during October.

Members of SOILWORK, in alliance with DARKANE personnel and CONSTRUCDEAD drummer Erik Thyselius also operated the project band TERROR 2000. Bassist Ola Flink would also be active with HATELIGHT, issuing the demos 'Word Ammunition' and 'Ricochet' in 2002 and 2003 respectively.

The band entered Helsingborg's Queenstreet Recording studios with the trusted Fredrik Nordström during mid December to cut their fifth album. Backing vocals for these sessions came courtesy of HATELIGHT's Jens Broman. 'Figure Number Five', issued by Nuclear Blast in April, became the recipient of quite huge acclaim in the Metal world. A novel promotional video for the track 'Rejection Role' saw the band in a turf war with the members of IN FLAMES. Touring in North America saw the band hooking up with headliners IN FLAMES and road partners CHIMAIRA and UNEARTH for a month long trek commencing June 26th in Toronto, Canada. However, the band would lose the services of drummer Henry Ranta beforehand, swiftly replacing him with the EBONY TEARS, DOG FACED GODS, Funksters IT'S ALIVE, MANIC DEPRESSION, SOUTHPAW, EYEBALL and SORCERER credited Richard Evensand. The new recruit debuted with the band at the Gelsenkirchen, Germany 'Rock Hard' festival.

The band put in a showing at the ARCH ENEMY headlined Busan International Rock Festival at Daedepo Beach in Korea on August 8th before uniting with CHILDREN OF BODOM for a Japanese tour in September. A further bout of November US shows saw the band partnered with premier British Black Metal band CRADLE OF FILTH and TYPE O NEGATIVE. Rickard Evansand joined CHIMAIRA during December. SOILWORK, pulling in Dirk Verbeuren from French Thrashers SCARVE as substitute on drums, undertook a headline tour of the UK in February 2004 supported by fellow Swedes THE FORSAKEN. The band then partnered with Thrash veterans ANTHRAX and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE for Australian and Japanese dates in April 2004. Verbeuren then stepped in as substitute drummer for Belgian gore-mongers ABORTED's live dates.

Björn Strid would lend guest vocals to Italian melodic Death Metal band DISARMONIA MUNDI's 2004 album ''Fragments Of D-Generation'. SOILWORK, after festival appearances at 'With Full Force' in Germany, 'Roskilde' in Denmark and the 'Tuska' event in Finland, would enter Studio Kuling in Ȫrebro during September to work with producer Daniel Bergstrand on their sixth album, billed 'Stabbing The Drama', projected for early 2005 issue. European digipacks added extra track 'Wherever Thorns May Grow' whilst Japanese variants were also boosted with an additional song, 'Killed By Ignition'. . US dates for January 2005 had the band packaged with DARK TRANQUILLITY and HYPOCRISY.

SOILWORK's profile rose significantly as 'Stabbing The Drama' entered the national Swedish album charts at an impressive number 14 in late February. Notably, the album also marked first time chart entries for the band in Austria, Finland and France. The band had their track 'Stabbing The Drama' featured on the soundtrack to the 'Rainbow Six Lockdown' game issued by 3volution Productions. The following month Björn Strid revealed he had fired up a new side project dubbed COLDSEED in a collaboration with BLIND GUARDIAN drummer Thomen Stauch, guitarists Thorsten Praest and Gonzalo Alfageme Lopez and the BLIND GUARDIAN and SIEGES EVEN bassist Oli Holzwarth. Strid also put in a guest vocal appearance on German Thrash act DESTRUCTION's 'Inventor Of Evil' album.

Throughout the Summer of 2005 SOILWORK joined the mammoth cast of bands on the US 'Ozzfest' tour alongside such industry giants as BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN and VELVET REVOLVER. The trek's 13th August Mountain View, California stop proved notable for the band as they were joined onstage by guesting TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy for the track 'Follow The Hollow'. Scandinavian, UK and European dates in October saw CONSTRUCDEAD as support. November 8th, at New York's Irving Plaza, marked the start of another US tour, the band forming up a bill comprising FEAR FACTORY, DARKANE and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD.

Guitarist Peter Wichers announced his departure in mid December. Early 2006 found Björn Strid involving himself in a studio collaboration with bassist Steve DiGiorgio, of SADUS, SEBASTIAN BACH, TESTAMENT and DEATH, Glen Alvelais from FORBIDDEN, TESTAMENT and LD/50 and Jeremy Colson of the STEVE VAI band, MARTY FRIEDMAN, MICHAEL SCHENKER, APARTMENT 26, DALI'S DILEMMA and LD/50 repute.

A replacement guitarist would be installed in April 2006, the new man being Daniel Antonsson of DIMENSION ZERO and PATHOS repute. SOILWORK joined the 'Metal Hammer' sponsored 'European Neckbreaker's Ball' 2006 tour, also featuring HYPOCRISY, SCAR SYMMETRY and ONE MAN ARMY AND THE UNDEAD QUARTET, commencing 11th April in Denmark.

A whole slew of European open air appearances took the band through the summer. However, unable to secure flights in time for drummer Dirk Verbeuren, residing in Los Angeles, the band pulled in DARKANE's Peter Wildoer for 'Festimad' in Madrid, Spain plus shows in PiteÃ¥ and Malmö. The band was set to put in a significant appearance at the GUNS N' ROSES headlined 'Download' festival in Castle Donington, UK on June 11th. However, guitarist Ola Frenning suffered a "vascular spasm", forcing a cancellation.

That same month word arrived that Peter Wichers was in collaboration with SANCTUARY and NEVERMORE singer Warrel Dane, working on his debut solo album. The band's appearance at the German 'Rock Hard' festival in June was taped and subsequently the track 'Stabbing The Drama' was included on the 'Rock Hard' magazine compilation album 'Rock Hard: Das Festival 2006'.

September 2006 UK shows were supported by French Thrashers LYZANXIA. The group returned for another North American tour commencing October 5th at the Jaxx venue in West Springfield, Virginia taking along DARKEST HOUR, MNEMIC and THREAT SIGNAL for 'The Last Stab' dates into mid November. On November 7th SOILWORK were announced as replaced a cancelling SIX FEET UNDER as the headliner of the X-mas Festivals tour, scheduled to kick off at the Berlin K17 venue December 8th, alongside GOREFEST, BELPHEGOR, TRAIL OF TEARS and DARZAMAT. However, the following day the band's agency denied this, saying the group was unable to participate.

SOILWORK announced in early March 2007 that Daniel Antonsson, from DIMENSION ZERO and PATHOS, had secured the guitar position.

SOILWORK sold over 5,000 copies of its album, 'Sworn To A Great Divide', in the United States in its first week of release to land at no. 148 on The Billboard national chart. However, the band parted ways with guitarist Ola Frenning in 2008 due to his quoted "resistance to the demands of the road." In August SOILWORK employed Sylvain Coudret of the French Metal band SCARVE for festival appearances at Germany's 'Summer Breeze' event, 'Brutal Assault' in the Czech Republic and 'Bloodstock Open Air' in Derbyshire, UK. The familiar face of Peter Wichers then rejoined the ranks in September.

SOILWORK returned to the road in North America in early 2009 for a massive headlining tour with support from DARKANE, WARBRINGER and SWALLOW THE SUN commencing 30th January in Rochester, New York at the Penny Arcade and wrapping up at the Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland on 22nd March. 

Björn Strid activated a solo project band, described as "dirty, retro, classic rock with horns, strings and some spaced-out percussion", involving Sharlee D'Angelo, of ARCH ENEMY and MERCYFUL FATE, on bass and fellow SOILWORK member David Andersson on guitar.