Soen come from Sweden labelled as a supergroup, mainly because two of their original members are heavyweights in the Metal scene: Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, ex-Amon Amarth) and Steve DiGiorgio (ex-Death, ex-Testament and Sadus).
Originally founded in 2004, it was only in 2010 that they
completed their lineup by adding singer Joel Ekelöf and guitarist Kim
Platbarzdis.
Their sound has always been defined as Progressive Metal but
it’s much more than that; in Martin Lopez’s own words, Soen is melodic, heavy,
intricate and different from everything else.
Soen debut their first record in February 2012 with Cognitive, an album that could very well
fit in Tool’s discography, especially at a time when Tool were on a hiatus, and
this record helped fill that void. Ekelöf presents a vocal register close to Maynard
James Keenan, and even in the groove itself you can feel that Tool connection.
From this record, I highlight the tracks “Savia” and "Fraccions".
In November 2011 they present Tellurian, their second record, a bit more progressive than the
previous one, with strong melodies and a more pronounced groove.
This is a much more organic record, where the songs seem to
have more space to breathe and to be more alive, walking away from the Tool
heritage.
It’s also the first album featuring bass player Stefan
Stenberg, who seems to have brought a bit more consistency on the rhythm
section and a bigger connection to Platbarzdis’ guitar.
Tellurian is also a much more emotional
record, where Ekelöf’s vocal evolution is shown in tracks like “Tabula Rasa”, “Kuraman” and “The Words”.
2017 brings us Lykaia,
for me Soen’s best record and, excuse the personal touch, one of my favourites
ever.
This album brings some lineup changes, with bass player Stefan
Stenberg being joined by Lars Ahlund on keys and Marcus Jidell on guitar, which
brought a very strong imprint and a very characteristic sound.
Lykaia is almost a conceptual album, a
magic idea about an old festival on Mount Lykaion where young people where fed
human meat so they could become werewolves. It’s this metaphor about that
mystic voyage from boyhood to adulthood, with all the wounds and pain involved,
that guides the record.
Sound wise, this album delivers emotion and depth like we
haven’t seen before from the band, there’s a fresh take on the lyrics but even
more in the soundscape. Jidell’s guitar has his own signature, a bit
Zeppelin-esque, that mythical register, with some middle-eastern influences
that we can also feel in the percussion.
Soen have passed several times through Portugal but none will
be more special than the one on October 21st 2017, on RCA; that
night the Swedish band presented us with a memorable show, one that the band
and the audience (me included) will ever forget. The technical quality from the
performers, the energy from the audience, the emotion in the songs… it was so good
that there are two tracks recorded from that show on the album’s reedition.
Surely, a night to remember.
Lykaia is stacked with beautiful songs but
personally I highlight “Jinn” and “Lucidity”, tracks where all their
artistry is shown.
The band’s latest release is Lotus, from February 2019.
In here, Jidell’s guitar is no longer heard and on his place
we have Cody Ford, and, to my hears, something is lost in the band’s sound with
this change.
Lotus is an essay on modern society, always with a poetic vision,
but not putting aside the chaotic times we live in.
This is a record with a deep personal dimension, but from a
universal point of view; here we find a lot of complexity, heaviness, and, like
always, emotion, something that Soen have accustomed us with. That dark
luminosity in Ekelöf’s voice that fills us with hope and shadows at the same
time, Lopez’s tuned machine and Ford’s spirited solos, the new guy, are the
main features in this record.
The tracks to check out are “Lascivious”, “Martyrs” or
the title track “Lotus”.
Soen is already a certainty in the Progressive Metal scene,
sometimes with a more alternative side, and we wait for some new sounds from
this Swedish machine of emotion and technique, a mix that sometimes is missing
from some bands in the same genre.
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