Before the recording could take place, bassist Carl-Gustav Döös left the group, leaving guitarist Peter Wichers to handle the bass tracks on the demo.

In a chance encounter, Soilwork met Michael Amott of Arch Enemy fame, who owned a record store in Helsingborg and was given a copy of their demo.

The band underwent significant changes, which included the arrival of the guitar mastery of David Andersson.

The album received critical acclaim and eventually led to a recording contract with Nuclear Blast, allowing the band to tour with acts such as Defleshed, Cannibal Corpse, and briefly with fellow melodic death metallers Dark Tranquillity.

The release was well received and brought Soilwork to the forefront of the melodic death metal scene, alongside label mates In Flames.

[citation needed] Following up on their success, Soilwork entered the studio again in late 2001 to record the follow-up to A Predator's Portrait with Devin Townsend and Fredrik Nordström.

[citation needed] Soilwork toured throughout Europe to support the album and, for the first time, throughout the United States—first with bands Hypocrisy, Scar Culture, Chimaira, Unearth, and Killswitch Engage during the summer,[7] and then alongside label mates In Flames during the fall.

In early June, drummer Henry Ranta left the band to focus more on his personal life and was replaced a week later by Richard Evensand.

[19] In early 2004, singer Björn "Speed" Strid laid down tracks with Italian melodic death metal band Disarmonia Mundi.

[22] Soilwork entered Dug Out Studios on 14 September 2004, to begin recording their sixth full-length album, Stabbing the Drama.

[27] In late 2005, guitarist Peter Wichers left the band due to tour exhaustion and other personal issues.

[30] The band later canceled the Turkish dates due to terrorist attacks and bombings that had recently occurred against tourists there.

[32][33] In early March 2007, Soilwork began recording tracks for their seventh album, Sworn to a Great Divide.

The album featured a sound closer to thrash than their previous works, though still incorporating their signature synth elements.

The tour began on 28 November 2007, at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts, and concluded at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, on 17 December 2007.

On 12 February 2008, an official statement was posted on Soilwork's website announcing that Ola Frenning and the band had parted ways.

On 5 December 2014, Soilwork frontman Strid confirmed that work had begun on a new album when he posted a picture on Facebook of himself listening to new demos.

[41] It was also confirmed that Soilwork had teamed up with Testament frontman Chuck Billy's Breaking Bands LLC management company for the album.

Decapitated and Shattered Sun also joined the tour, which was scheduled for a 27-concert trek beginning on 30 September and concluding in Albuquerque, NM on 30 October.