(Silver Lining Music)
Total Time: 54:00
Almost after 2 years (just by 2 days) our beloved SOEN released their new album “Lotus” and made the prog (and not only) community to lose their minds with their latestopus. The band had stated that they just wanted to write better songs than their previous effort (The excellent “Lykaia”) and by Zeus, they succeeded! “Lotus” is the first album where the band is really happy with the final result. Their sound is more solid, heavier and cleaner. This is due to the fact that they did not handle the production themselves as they did so far, but they trusted their songs to David Castillo and Iñaki Marconi, who combined the magic of the analogue era with the modern digital means. SOEN continue on the path they carved with their first album “Cognitive” which can be described as “when OPETH met TOOL”.
In “Lotus” you will find again the impeccable drums of Martin Lopez (ex OPETH) which manoeuvre between hypnotic rhythms and stormy outbursts. You will find again the beautiful vocals of Joel Ekelof which speak directly to your soul. You will find again the lyrics that will make you reflect and look deep into yourself. This time, however, SOEN mastered their art and perfected their sound. The addition of the Canadian Cody Ford as their new guitar player, made their music even better as he offered some amazing leads and solos which overflow with emotion (listen for example the title track). Lars Ahlund’s keys, make a significant contribution either by enhancing the atmosphere of the songs or by offering the melancholic notes of a piano. The highlight of the album for me though, is that all the tracks have haunting melodies and choruses. There’s no way they won’t catch your attention and make you want to sing the lyrics (just listen to the track “Martyrs”).
A huge “bravo” from me then, as SOEN managed to outdo themselves and gave us one of the best albums of 2019 which I believe deserves to be mentioned along with the likes of “The Art of Navigating by the Stars”, “Second Life Syndrome”and “Remedy Lane”.
Rating: 9/10
DimitrisBenetatos
Precisely! Incredible band!! Gives you the sense of it being a ‘best of..’ album full of gems!