ALBUM REVIEW: SOEN – ‘MEMORIAL’

By Carina Lawrence

Swedish progressive metallers hit harder with their sixth album, ‘Memorial,’ which is more aggressive and potent yet always melodic and alluring in keeping with their signature style.

The album opener ‘Sincere’ does a brilliant job of setting the scene and showcasing their fresh and vibrant sound whilst intrinsically sounding like Soen with this extremely groove-ridden driving force of metal, which makes for a powerful and passionate start.

The hard-hitting ‘Unbreakable’ highlights their heavier ferocity with stomping memorable riffs and infectiously catchy melodies. ‘Violence’ keeps things hefty and dynamic with atmospheric hushed and varied vocals from the talented Joel Ekelöf and ambient keys from Lars Enok Åhlund and plenty of crushing riffs. ‘Fortress’ fires out riffs and melodies swiftly and effortlessly and will have you headbanging and moving from start to finish.

Adding more diversity and layers ‘Hollowed’ features beautiful vocals with female vocalist Elisa, which makes it even more moving and ethereal paired with Joel’s soothing and impactful notes. The title track ‘Memorial’ is soaring and epic with crisp, menacing riffs and striking vocals and certainly does the album justice to represent the themes and overall sound of the album. ‘Incendiary’ is one of the most varied tracks and is all-consuming, primarily through the vocals and precisive instruments.

The track ‘Tragedian’ strips things back and is highly expressive, showing off Joel’s flawless and captivating vocals perfectly with a slick solo which hits hard and is a very engaging song and one of my favourites on the album as they are at their best when emotive and caressing your ears and your soul in a cathartic hit.

The exhilarating ‘Icon’ changes the pace drastically, with rapid and heavy riffs and grooves sporting an ominous eerie vibe. The final track ends on a vulnerable note with ‘Vitals’, which features delicate piano with beautiful mesmerizing vocals. They hit equally as hard, whether it’s a slower-paced or stripped-back section or a full-blown hard-hitting groove. ‘Vitals’ will surely be a brilliant phone-swaying moment live.

‘Memorial’ is engaging and robust with the signature beautiful yet brutal atmosphere Soen has mastered, which benefits from a few listens to absorb and appreciate all the intricacies fully and marks a momentous release for the band that is captivating and gratifying.

Memorial will be released on September 1^st 2023, via Silver Lining Music. Available as a Deluxe CD, 12” Vinyl Album in Black and colour variants, digital formats and special D2C products and bundles. For pre-orders, go to this location

MEMORIAL 2023 TOUR DATES:
20 SEPT – 9 Odense (DK) – Posten
21 SEPT – Copenhagen (DK) – Amager Bio
22 SEPT – Berlin (DE) – Kesselhaus
23 SEPT – Leipzig (DE) – Täubchemthal
24 SEPT – Warsaw (PL) – Progresja
26 SEPT – Prague (CZ) – Palak Akropolis
27 SEPT – Zurich (CH) – Komplex 457
28 SEPT – Munich (DE) – Backstage Werk
29 SEPT – Vienna (AT) – Simm City
30 SEPT – Bologna (IT) – Locomotiv
3 OCT – Bilbao (ES) – Kafe Antzokia
4 OCT – Porto (PT) – Hard Club
5 OCT – Lisbon (PT) – Lisboa Ao Vivo
6 OCT – Madrid (ES) – La Paqui
7 OCT – Sevilla (ES) – Custom
8 OCT – Murcia (ES) – Garaje
10 OCT – Barcelona (ES) – Apolo
11 OCT – Lyon (FR) – Ninkasi Kao
12 OCT – Sint Niklaas (BE) – De Casino
13 OCT – London (GB) – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
14 OCT – Amsterdam (NL) – Melkweg
15 OCT – Paris (FR) – Élysée Montmartre
17 OCT – Frankfurt (DE) – Batschkapp
18 OCT – Strasbourg (FR) – La Laiterie
20 OCT – Cologne (DE) – Essigfabrik
22 OCT – Hamburg (DE) – Knust

MEMORIAL 2024 TOUR DATES
17 MAR – Oslo (NO) – Rockefeller
18 MAR – Göthenburg (SE) – Pustervik
21 MAR – Oulu (FI) – Tullisali
22 MAR – Jyväskylä (FI) – Lutakko
23 MAR – Tampere (FI) – Olympia
24 MAR – Helsinki (FI) – Vanha Ylioppilastalo
26 MAR – Stockholm (SE) – Clubben

NORTH AMERICA
7 MAY – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
8 MAY – Cleveland, OH – The Roxy
9 MAY – Toronto, ON – Axis
10 MAY – Montreal, QC – Beanfield Theater
11 MAY – New York City, NY – Le Poisson Rouge
13 MAY – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
14 MAY – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird Music Hall
16 MAY – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
17 MAY – Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall
18 MAY – Washington, DC – Union Stage
19 MAY – Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle
20 MAY – Charlotte, NC – The Underground
22 MAY – Orlando, FL – The Abbey
24 MAY – Mexico City, MEX – Pepsi Center WTC
26 MAY – Dallas, TX – Granada Theater
28 MAY – Austin, TX – Come and Take it Live
30 MAY – Phoenix, AZ – Crescent Ballroom
31 MAY – Pomona, CA – The Glass House
1 JUN – Los Angeles, CA – The Roxy
2 JUN – San Francisco, CA – The Independent
4 JUN – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater
5 JUN – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre
6 JUN – Seattle, WA – Neumos
8 JUN – Salt Lake City, UT – Metro Music Hall
9 JUN – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater

Tickets for the shows are available here.