Album Review: SOEN Lotus (02/01)

In 2010, it was announced that Martin Lopez (ex Opeth), bassist Steve DiGiorgio, singer Joel Ekelöf and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis had joined forces in the band Soen. The progressive Swedish band released their debut album, Cognitive, in 2012 receiving positive critical reception. Later both DiGiorgio and Platbarzdis left the band. And I actually came to know Soen with their second release 2014’s Tellurian, a fantastic piece of progressive metal. Martin Lopez describes Soen’s music as “melodic, heavy and intricate”. In simple terms Soen sounds like if Tool and Opeth (the clean vocals version of it) had a baby who was raised by Pink Floyd. Soen’s fourth album, Lotus was released on February 1st 2019.

Albums like Lotus are the reason I keep checking more than 100 new releases every year. It’s that magical moment when you connect deeply with the music and find something truly special. There’s so much to like here, from the beautiful and yet powerful Joel Ekelöf's singing, the incredible drum work by Martin Lopez, one of the best bass sound I’ve heard in a while or the solid guitar riffs and solos. But Lotus is much more than a collection of great musicians, Soen is a band in harmony playing a complex but cohesive piece of music. At the end of the day the music writing is phenomenal and that makes all the difference.

All songs are great, but I'd like to highlight my 3 favorites which are truly amazing. "Lascivious" has a beautiful verse sang over a dominant bass line followed by a heavy guitar riff. Then the bridge leads to a powerful and catchy chorus, pure goosebumps. When you think it can't get any better, Soen included a guitar solo that could've come from a Pink Floyd album. The most impressive thing is that this masterpiece is followed by "Martyrs" which is another jewel. It's a heavier track but equally amazing. The pre-chorus drum fill and bass line work together to create a moving groove that leads to the powerful chorus. There's also another Pink Floydian moment during a slow interlude, magical. By the time we get to the title track and fourth in the album, I was already sold. But Soen continues to deliver a winner sequence and "Lotus" deserved to be the title track. A slow tempo song and maybe the one that reminds me of Opeth the most. It's just a beautiful song with amazing vocal lines and intriguing melodies.

Now, I could go on about every single track, but you get the point. The trademarks are recurrent throughout the album. I now it’s early to call Lotus album of the year but it’s a powerful contender. If it holds itself and stands the test of time, it could actually become a top album of the decade. Masterpiece.

SCORE: 89/100