SOEN
Reliance
2026 – Silver Lining Music
Embracing the future… in the most lyrical way, which could easily move via mercy and fear, being graphic, cinematic and a warmth of a melodic package. Introductory “Primal” is no stranger to us listeners, as the band has chosen that one to be the album’s first single. By giving it a spin, once more, we discover the essence of the Swedish band. A powerful exterior, yet a soft and tender endoskeleton, showing how far human mind can travel. That riff is followed by a tribal rhythm, portraying low frequences in vocal performance and then we get to hear the higher pitch and wonder about the recipe.
And that recipe is successful! “Mercenary” features the same “mechanical” methods in adaptation and craftmanship, giving us the big picture about SOEN’s musical attributes. It’s not just about lyrical terminology. It’s a soul expressed in musical canvas, a spark benchmarking a progressive yet simplified spotlight.
“Axis” is that song, with that texture, with that chorus and a verse that wishes to take us all for a journey. Solos are thematical and actually magnify the song’s trend. And then… calmness… “I see the fire is burning”… Check out the rhythm section, coupling with the guitars, check out the voice, defining the ways of expression and shining throughout the entire motif. “Huntress” is entering via a mid tempo (even slower than mid, one might add) riff and then rests in clarity provided by drums, keys and crystal strings. Vocals act and react, climax is registered and then explodes… I can’t get over the magnificence of their melodic armor. But then again, one might ask “Man, haven’t you seen them live? Haven’t you listened to their previous works”? Touché! Guitar solo is exquisite and backing vocals spread their neue splendor, running a Pink Floyd parallel.
“Unbound” emerges with a powerful riff. Sounds grand, it features the high pitch voice version and then it’s all about the backing vox, which exemplify the band’s unique theorisis concerning musical paths and melodic excursions. One can take this album and put it very close to “Parallels”, in terms of lyricism and music tenderness. “Drifter” is giving us the chills… Is it Dark Rock? Is it Goth combined with Prog forms? The boys are moving via a personalized melodical texture, which acts as a safehouse, giving us the opportunity to listen without being annoyed by anyone or anything, indulging by that musical proposition.
“Draconian” is a powerhouse of a lament, a song which will become a new most favorite for the fans. The lyrics, the action, the entire structure… The band is moving through a series of one-word titles, highlighting their muse’s capriccio becomes thunderous peace. “I see your eyes every time I’m broken”… “Vellichor”, the album’s epilogue, is entering through cinematic keysences. “For the loved ones”… Crystal wilderness… It’s a masterful result. SOEN once again redefine Prog music. This is beyond Metal or Rock or whatever you would like to call it. This is purely Prog Music, given by true lovers of absolute melody and carriers of tons of knowledge and charisma. SOEN is the very equivalent of art in a musical landscape where labels and genres do not apply. It’s music. One and for all.
Costas Koulis
Primal
Mercenary
Discordia
Axis
Huntress
Unbound
Indifferent
Drifter
Draconian
Vellichor
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