On May 28, 2010, the formation of Soen was announced, its lineup consisting of former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez, ex-Death, Testament and Sadus bassist Steve DiGiorgio, Willowtree vocalist Joel Ekelöf and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis. The group's first song, "Fraccions", was released on the band's official website on October 2010. Their first video, for the song "Savia", was posted on their Facebook page on February 2012. Their second video is a moody acoustic version of the song "Ideate". The band's third video is for the song "Delenda".
Drummer Martin Lopez has described Soen's music as "melodic, heavy, intricate and very different than everything else." Their debut, Cognitive, was released in February 2012 to positive critical reception, the members' technical proficiency receiving most praise, though many reviewers noted extreme stylistic similarities to the music of Tool.
Martin Lopez commented on the Tool similarity: "We are inspired by Tool but I consider them not only a band but a genre. Besides that, I really don’t think there’s anything to argue about, we make good music whoever it would remind you of. Some people tend to dislike rather than like and are looking for faults instead of seeing music for what it is, good or bad".
Cognitive was released on Spinefarm records on February 15, 2012. The album was mixed by David Bottrill (Tool, Coheed and Cambria, Silverchair, The Smashing Pumpkins, Muse etc.) and mastered by João Carvalho. There's also a bonus track on the Japanese edition called “Writhen”.
As of their fifth album "Imperial", released in 2021, the band members are:
Oleksii "Zlatoyar" Kobel – Bass
Cody Ford – Guitar
Lars Åhlund – Keys, guitar
Joel Ekelöf – Vocals
Martin Lopez – Drums, percussion
EMDR
Soen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep it on my own
You have me in your power
Like you never did before
Once I told myself anything goes
Never did anything right
Despite
The nature of desire
Hide behind a rueful face
Thank you all for fine charades
Praise the little things I wanted
All I wanted was to rest
Rest in knowing all demons are real
Taste the sweet lips, seal the deal and heal
My iris is on firе
I curse my firm belief
Eyеs of a dark dense mind
I′m feasting on what you feed me
I'll stand before no one
Cry, my love
I′m leading you all the way
Swimming in a sea of guilt
Drained of energy or blood
Praise the little things I'm here for
In the distance on demand
Once my fungus takes care of your soul
Turns into nutritious soil
Behold
How the nature of desire
Always finds a way
I'll let you see my greedy face
Let you witness all my shades
Pray that no one′s here to see me
Like you never prayed before
I rest in knowing my demons are real
I taste the sweet lips, seal the deal and heal
The nature of desire
Are fluids, pores and faith
From the mire
Through the wonders of your soul
A desire
"Wait a second", I′ve been told
(I have seen too much of it)
(I have seen too much of it)
Parasites
Infected wounds
Broken skulls (I have seen too much of it)
Tissue divided in two
Eyes of a dark dense mind
I'm feasting on what you feed me
I′ll stand before no one
Cry, my love
I'm leading you all the way
See my love, I′ll take a stand for my beliefs
I'm leading you all the way
Stronger love, found within, take my fire
I′m leading you all the way
Cry my love, I'll comfort you, I'll kill the ghosts
I′m leading you all the way
Paint the walls, let me go, fight the pain
I′m leading you all the way
See my dreams, outside my dreams, no more sleep
I'm leading you all the way
Turn around, find me there, sweet perfume
I′m leading you all the way
On my own, I'm here alone, just me and you
I′m leading you all the way
I found the peace, a quiet room, comfortable doom
I'm leading you all the way
I′m leading you all the way
I'm leading you all the way
The lyrics of Soen's song "EMDR" are a contemplation on the nature of desire and the ways in which it can consume a person's psyche. The singer is struggling to resist the temptation of someone who has power over them, admitting that anything goes and they have never done anything right. The nature of desire is seen as a force that always finds a way to manifest itself, even when we try to resist it.
The second verse paints a picture of a person who is drained and exhausted, clinging to the little things they wanted and resting in the knowledge that their demons are real. The chorus repeats the singer's resolve to lead their love, even as they struggle with the darkness of their own desires. The bridge brings in images of decay and decayed tissue, underscoring the idea that desire can be a parasitic force that feeds on our weaknesses.
Overall, the song is a deeply introspective meditation on the struggle between our desires and our better selves. The singer is grappling with the knowledge that they may not always be able to resist the temptation of what they want, but they are still determined to lead their love through the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Trying not to intervene
I am trying not to interfere with your actions or decisions.
Keep it on my own
I will keep my thoughts and feelings to myself.
You have me in your power
Like you never did before
You have control over me in a way that you haven't before.
Once I told myself anything goes
Never did anything right
Despite
The nature of desire
Always finds a way
I used to believe that I could do anything, but I never did anything right. However, desire always finds a way to fuel me.
Hide behind a rueful face
Thank you all for fine charades
Praise the little things I wanted
All I wanted was to rest
Rest in knowing all demons are real
Taste the sweet lips, seal the deal and heal
My iris is on fire
I curse my firm belief
I put on a sad face to hide my true feelings. I thank everyone for pretending to care about the things I want. All I really want is to be able to rest and relax. Despite acknowledging that my demons are real, I indulge in pleasurable activities such as kissing to heal myself. The intensity of my desires makes me doubt my beliefs.
Eyes of a dark dense mind
I'm feasting on what you feed me
I'll stand before no one
Cry, my love
I'm leading you all the way
I am a dark and deep person who is absorbing everything you give me. I will not back down and will lead you throughout the journey despite the challenges we face.
Swimming in a sea of guilt
Drained of energy or blood
Praise the little things I'm here for
In the distance on demand
Once my fungus takes care of your soul
Turns into nutritious soil
Behold
How the nature of desire
Always finds a way
I am overwhelmed with guilt and exhaustion, but I take pride in the small accomplishments I have made. I am always there for you, even if it's from afar. When my destructive nature takes hold, it nurtures your soul and serves as a reminder of the powerful nature of desire.
I'll let you see my greedy face
Let you witness all my shades
Pray that no one's here to see me
Like you never prayed before
I rest in knowing my demons are real
I taste the sweet lips, seal the deal and heal
The nature of desire
Are fluids, pores and faith
I will show you my true, avaricious self and hope that nobody else is watching. I embrace my inner demons and find solace in fleeting moments of pleasure. Desire is not just an impulse but a force that permeates my entire being.
From the mire
Through the wonders of your soul
A desire
"Wait a second", I've been told
(I have seen too much of it)
(I have seen too much of it)
Parasites
Infected wounds
Broken skulls (I have seen too much of it)
Tissue divided in two
From the depths of despair, I will follow the beauty of your soul. Despite this, I have been warned to be careful with desire, which can be parasitic and inflict pain. I have seen all too many wounds and horrors caused by desire, which can rupture even the strongest bonds.
See my love, I'll take a stand for my beliefs
I'm leading you all the way
Stronger love, found within, take my fire
I'm leading you all the way
Cry my love, I'll comfort you, I'll kill the ghosts
I'm leading you all the way
Paint the walls, let me go, fight the pain
I'm leading you all the way
See my dreams, outside my dreams, no more sleep
I'm leading you all the way
Turn around, find me there, sweet perfume
I'm leading you all the way
On my own, I'm here alone, just me and you
I'm leading you all the way
I found the peace, a quiet room, comfortable doom
I'm leading you all the way
I'm leading you all the way
I will stand up for what I believe in and lead you through every obstacle. My love for you will continue to grow stronger and ignite my passion. I promise to comfort you and help you banish your fears. I will fight through the pain and create a new reality for us. Together, we will pursue my wildest dreams and find new meaning in life. I will be there at every turn and take responsibility for our journey, however lonely it may be. I have found peace in acceptance of an inevitable end.
Writer(s): Lars Ahlund, Leif Stenberg, Martin Lopez, Joel Ekelof
Contributed by Adrian A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
taddeocico
Trying not to intervene
Keep it on my own
You have me in your power
Like you never did before
Once I told myself anything goes
Never did anything right
Despite
The nature of desire
Always finds a way
Hide behind a rueful face
Thank you all for fine charades
Praise the little things I wanted
All I wanted was to rest
Rest in knowing all demons are real
Taste the sweet lips, seal the deal and heal
My iris is on firе
I curse my firm belief
Eyеs of a dark dense mind
I'm feasting on what you feed me
I'll stand before no one
Cry, my love
I'm leading you all the way
Swimming in a sea of guilt
Drained of energy or blood
Praise the little things I'm here for
In the distance on demand
Once my fungus takes care of your soul
Turns into nutritious soil
Behold
How the nature of desire
Always finds a way
I'll let you see my greedy face
Let you witness all my shades
Pray that no one's here to see me
Like you never prayed before
I rest in knowing my demons are real
I taste the sweet lips, seal the deal and heal
The nature of desire
Are fluids, pores and faith
From the mire
Through the wonders of your soul
A desire
"Wait a second", I've been told
(I have seen too much of it)
(I have seen too much of it)
Parasites
Infected wounds
Broken skulls (I have seen too much of it)
Tissue divided in two
Eyes of a dark dense mind
I'm feasting on what you feed me
I'll stand before no one
Cry, my love
I'm leading you all the way
See my love, I'll take a stand for my beliefs
I'm leading you all the way
Stronger love, found within, take my fire
I'm leading you all the way
Cry my love, I'll comfort you, I'll kill the ghosts
I'm leading you all the way
Paint the walls, let me go, fight the pain
I'm leading you all the way
See my dreams, outside my dreams, no more sleep
I'm leading you all the way
Turn around, find me there, sweet perfume
I'm leading you all the way
On my own, I'm here alone, just me and you
I'm leading you all the way
I found the peace, a quiet room, comfortable doom
I'm leading you all the way
I'm leading you all the way
I'm leading you all the way
SoenOfficial
Trying not to intervene,
keep it on my own.
You have me in your power
like you never did before.
Once I told myself “anything goes”,
Never did anything right
despite
the nature of desire
always finds a way.
Hide behind a rueful face.
Thank you all for fine charades.
Praise the little things I wanted.
All I wanted was to rest.
Rest in knowing all demons are real,
taste their sweet lips, seal the deal and heal.
My iris is on fire,
I curse my firm belief.
Eyes of a dark dense mind.
I’m feasting on what you feed me.
I stand before no one.
Cry my love!
I’m leading you all the way.
Swimming in a sea of guilt.
Drained of energy or blood.
Praise the little things I’m here for.
In the distance, on demand.
Once my fungus takes care of your soul,
turns it to nutritious soil.
Behold,
how the nature of desire
always finds a way.
I let you see my greedy face,
let you witness all my shades,
Pray that no one’s here to see me,
like you never prayed before.
I rest in knowing my demons are real,
I taste their sweet lips, seal the deal,
and heal.
The nature of desire;
my fluids, pores and faith.
From the mire
through the wonders of your soul.
A desire.
Wait a second, I’ve been told.
I have seen to much of it.
Parasites.
Infected wounds.
Broken skulls.
Tissue divided in two.
Eyes of a dark dense mind.
I’m feasting on what you feed me.
I stand before no one.
Cry my love!
I’m leading you all the way.
See my love, I take a stand for my beliefs.
Stronger love, found within, take my fire.
Cry my love, I’ll comfort you, I’ll kill the ghosts.
Paint the walls, let me go, fight the pain.
See my dreams, outside my dreams, no more sleep.
Turn around, find me there, sweet perfume.
On my own, I’m here alone, just me and you.
I found the peace, a quiet room, comfortable doom.
Matt Layne Jones
The chorus is something magical... this song is a Masterpiece
aziz akharaz
This band is a gift to embrace the pain of existence!
Elier Lizárraga
Existence is beautyful
biathanatos
@Elier Lizárraga Tell my cancer sister too
Csenge Gall
Never clicked so fast in my life. Thank you for making awesome music! Imperial, to me, is the album of the decade.
Cecil - ᚴ ᚱ ᛆ ᚿ ᚮ ᚿ
And that's not an overstatement, it's the Truth!
Csenge Gall
@Cecil - ᚴ ᚱ ᛆ ᚿ ᚮ ᚿ insert gif of Monica Geller yelling *"I KNOW!!"
MCHiphopotamus
Lotus is better. Less repetitive. But Imperial is top notch too.
Marco Ingrosso
These guys are unbeliaveble, they're unable to write a bad song! I agree, Imperial top album, It wasn't obvious to create, after Lotus, another masterpiece.. I can't wait for the other two songs to be released!
El Parasito
Likaya - lucidity for me 🤘