Figure Number Five

Figure Number Five is the fifth full-length album released by the Swedish melodic death metal band Soilwork. On this release, the band introduces more alternative metal influences into their melodic death metal style.
A few different editions of this album existed upon release. The normal release with eleven tracks, as well as a limited edition release with a second CD of their 1997 demo. The limited vinyl version of the album features two discs - this album and Natural Born Chaos, black and the other a white-colored vinyl. The Japanese version of the album includes one bonus track, entitled “Bursting Out.”

This album marked keyboardist Sven Karlsson’s first attempts at songwriting for the band. While it is not necessarily interconnected with the keyboardist songwriting, this album features more use of the keyboard and lighter melodies. The album is considered a more commercial sound by most fans of Swedish death metal, but it arguably gives the music a broader appeal. However, vocalist Björn Strid has said the album has good melodies but lacks in intensity and could’ve been better composed; many fans and critics considered the album “rushed”.
Music videos were made for the songs “Rejection Role” and “Light the Torch.” In Flames appeared in the “Rejection Role” video, which featured the two bands being seemingly hostile towards each other (early in the video, a member of In Flames can be seen holding up a sign that says “Sellout” as the band drives by Soilwork).