Album Review: Soen - Reliance
Reviewed by Rich Oliver
Whilst taste may be utterly subjective, there are some bands where it utterly boggles the mind that they aren’t more popular and well known than they are. One such band is the ever spectacular Soen from Sweden who were formed back in 2010 by former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez. The band have released a total of six studio albums over the last sixteen years and now three years after their last release, it is time for album number seven “Reliance”.
Soen started as a very progressively minded band and whilst that is still the case, the band have definitely streamlined their sound over the last few albums and that continues here on “Reliance” with a precise and succinct songwriting approach. This is not a bad thing as Soen manage to pack an awful lot into their songs from great riffs, stellar guitar playing, anthemic choruses, deep atmosphere and raw emotion packed into ten songs which are all in the three to five minute range. The album starts with the lead single ‘Primal’ which is one of the punchier songs on the album “detailing the existential fight between the human spirit and our current world”. The album itself has a healthy balance of punchy heavier songs and ones which are more in the emotive and atmospheric side of things. On the punchy front you also have the immediacy of ‘Mercenary’, the anthemic ‘Axis’ and the absolutely glorious ‘Draconian’. The gentler and more emotive side of the band really comes to the fore in the beautiful ‘Indifferent’ and the heart wrenching album closer ‘Vellichor’. You also get songs which deftly combine the emotive, atmospheric and heavy sides of the band such as the stunning ‘Discordia’ and the powerful ‘Huntress’.
Whether it is a heavier or softer song from Soen, there is always the emotive core which is the heart of everything that the band does and the driving force of that emotive delivery are the gorgeous vocals of frontman Joel Ekelöf which are guaranteed to give you chills. The lead guitars from Cody Ford are also luscious and his pairing with fellow guitarist and keyboard player Lars Åhlund are exquisite. The rhythm section also delivers on all fronts hammering hard when needed and employing a delicateness in those tender moments. Bass player Stefan Stenberg is a formidable player and drummer Martin Lopez reminds us why he is seen as one of the finest players in progressive metal.
“Reliance” continues on the more streamlined journey Soen started with their 2019 album “Lotus” and the band have found a groove and stuck with it. Whilst it does continue the same aesthetics of the previous few releases, the songwriting is so damn good that it doesn’t matter that Soen doesn't shake things up a bit. The band have a winning formula that works extremely well for them and it is hopeful that this is the album that opens up the band to a wider audience. “Reliance” is tried and tested Soen which sounds damn spectacular and gets 2026 off to a great start on the music front.
