Review: Soulfracture

After a 17-year hiatus, Leeds metal veterans Soulfracture return with The Leader of the Exploited — and from the very first second, it’s clear they haven’t just picked up where they left off… they’ve come back sharpened, heavier and hungrier than ever.

The title track The Leader of the Exploited smashes through the speakers like a wrecking ball dipped in napalm. The double-kick assault, crunching guitar lines and demonic vocal delivery create a brutal wall of sound, yet somehow it never collapses into noise. Soulfracture keep it varied, shifting tempo and attack with surgical precision. It’s chaotic, it’s violent, but it’s expertly controlled — a full-force punch to the chest that reminds you exactly why these guys were so respected the first time around.

My Immolation offers no mercy. It explodes immediately and races forward with an intensity that barely lets you breathe. The riffs soar then plunge into the depths, the vocals tear through the mix and the whole track feels like being strapped to a rocket. What makes Soulfracture special is that even amid the brutality, melody survives — clear, memorable and cleverly embedded into the chaos. The guitar work lifts this song to another level entirely, proving that extremity and musicality can coexist.

Call of the Void creeps in like a horror film score, eerie and unsettling, delaying the inevitable impact. Then the riff hits — a Slayer-worthy chainsaw that rips through the fog. Once again the band show their depth, weaving in unexpected melodic touches, including a surprisingly emotional solo that shouldn’t work in this genre but absolutely does. It’s thrash, it’s doom, it’s groove — it’s Soulfracture refusing to fit into any one box.

Finally, Genocide of Man opens with a futuristic vocal effect before the full band detonates in one unified blast. This is dark, punishing metal delivered with precision and intent. The tempo shifts are masterful, the breakdown is monstrous and the Pantera/Sepultura nods are unmistakable. Then, out of nowhere, an Eddie Van Halen–esque solo tears through the track — wild, expressive, unexpected and absolutely glorious. It’s a phenomenal end to a ferocious EP.

The Leader of the Exploited is a triumphant return — brutally heavy but full of intelligence, structure and innovation. Soulfracture haven’t just revived themselves; they’ve evolved.

All we can say is: lads… don’t leave it another 17 years next time — this kind of carnage is too good to wait for.