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
Monarch
Soen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Set their sight on the dissident land
When the meek turn clamorous
And the sheep are the lions
As the curtain falls
And devotion is measured in blood
Hear the monarch call
Unending blazes light the sky so bright
And thundering choirs pierce the air with cries
Into the fire I am
Leading the slain
Steering the fallen to the end
Into the pyre I reign
Drowning in flames
Raising еmpires on remains
I′m a walking corpse
Who abandonеd humanity's cause
To become the god of harm
To divide and devour
Seek among the bones
For the ones who confronted my hate
Artisan of gore
Steaming smothering venom
Unending blazes light the sky so bright
And thundering choirs pierce the air with cries
Into the fire I am
Leading the slain
Steering the fallen to the end
Into the pyre I reign
Drowning in flames
Raising empires on remains
You could be someone who loves
You could be a dearest friend
But compassion isn′t strength
And you were raised to be a man
And sometimes when you're alone
You despise who you became
And I see the next in line just hoping to become the same
Who are the ones we are sending to die?
Starry-eyed youth in disguise
Carry a banner of misleading pride
They are the ghosts of our time
Who are the ones we are sending to die?
They are the ghosts of our time
The lyrics of Soen’s song Monarch explore the consequences of war and the destructive nature of power. The opening lines describe the setting of a war, where the aggressors have their sights set on a land in opposition. The image of meek individuals transforming into the clamorous, and the sheep becoming lions, highlights the fact that war has the power to bring out the worst in people. As the violence escalates, and the devotion to the cause is measured in bloodshed, the monarch calls out for those who have been lost and those who are bitter.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the chaos and destruction of war with descriptions of “unending blazes” and “thundering choirs” that pierce the air with their cries. The lyrics then take a dramatic turn as the song’s narrator reveals themselves to be a “walking corpse” who has abandoned their humanity to become a “god of harm.” This juxtaposition of the deity-like status with the concepts of gore and venom highlights the destructive nature of power and how it can corrupt even the most well-intentioned of individuals.
The song’s final verse reflects on the tragedy of war, revealing the young people who are sent to die as nothing more than “starry-eyed youth in disguise” carrying a “banner of misleading pride.” In the end, they become the “ghosts of our time” as their lives are taken for a cause that they may not completely understand.
Overall, Soen’s Monarch is a powerful commentary on the devastating effects of war and the importance of being aware of the consequences of striving for power.
Line by Line Meaning
When the eyes of war
Set their sight on the dissident land
When the meek turn clamorous
And the sheep are the lions
When war is looming and the oppressed rise up to fight back, the weak become strong and even the meek turn into leaders.
As the curtain falls
And devotion is measured in blood
Hear the monarch call
For the lost and the bitter
In the midst of war and bloodshed, a leader arises to call out to those who have lost everything and seek to find meaning in their suffering.
Unending blazes light the sky so bright
And thundering choirs pierce the air with cries
The violence and chaos of war are overwhelming, with constant explosions and cries of pain filling the air.
Into the fire I am
Leading the slain
Steering the fallen to the end
Into the pyre I reign
Drowning in flames
Raising empires on remains
The artist has become a ruthless leader who revels in destruction and death, leading his army to burn down everything in their path and build their own empire on the ashes of their enemies.
I'm a walking corpse
Who abandoned humanity's cause
To become the god of harm
To divide and devour
The artist sees himself as a soulless being who has given up on any sense of morality to become a powerful leader who thrives on causing harm and dividing people.
Seek among the bones
For the ones who confronted my hate
Artisan of gore
Steaming smothering venom
The singer searches for the enemies who dared to stand up to him, and revels in the violence and gore of his battles.
You could be someone who loves
You could be a dearest friend
But compassion isn't strength
And you were raised to be a man
And sometimes when you're alone
You despise who you became
And I see the next in line just hoping to become the same
The singer reflects on how his sense of strength and power came at the cost of his humanity and his relationships, and he sees the same pattern in others who seek to follow in his footsteps.
Who are the ones we are sending to die?
Starry-eyed youth in disguise
Carry a banner of misleading pride
They are the ghosts of our time
Who are the ones we are sending to die?
They are the ghosts of our time
The artist questions the cost of war and the young lives lost to misguided pride, seeing the casualties of war as ghosts that haunt their time and future.
Writer(s): Lauren Strahm, David Garcia, Justin Amundrud
Contributed by Isaac P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Weedlord Boner Hitler
When the eyes of war (War)
Set their sight on the dissident land (Land)
When the meek turns clamorous (—orous)
And the sheep are the lions (The lions)
As the curtain falls (Falls)
And devotion is measured in blood (Blood)
Hear the monarch call (Call)
For the lost and the bitter
Unending blazes light the sky, so bright
And thundering choirs pierce the air with cries (with cries)
Into the fire I am leading the slain
Steering the fallen to the end
Into the pyre I rеign
Drowning in flames
Raising empires on rеmains
I’m a walking corpse (Corpse)
Who abandoned humanity’s cause (Cause)
To become the god of harm (Harm)
To divide and devour
Seek among the bones (Bones)
For the ones who confronted my hate (Hate)
Artisan of gore (Gore)
Steaming smothering venom
Guitar Solo
Unending blazes light the sky, so bright
And thundering choirs pierce the air with cries (With cries, with cries, with cries)
Into the fire I am leading the slain
Steering the fallen to the end
Into the pyre I reign
Drowning in flames
Raising empires on remains
You could be someone who loves
You could be a dearest friend
But compassion isn’t strength
And you were raised to be a man
And sometimes when you’re alone
You despise who you became
And I see the next in line just hoping to become the same
Who are the ones we are sending to die?
Starry-eyed youth in disguise
Carry a banner of misleading pride
They are the ghosts of our time
Who are the ones we are sending to die?
They are the ghosts of our time
Corax
Thank you for the Lyrics!
These Lyrics are so epic and the chosen words sound beautiful and paint the scenery so well
I’m a walking corpse
Who abandoned humanity’s cause
To become the god of harm
To divide and devour
Seek among the bones
For the ones who confronted my hate
Artisan of gore
Steaming smothering venom
I mean like holy shit that is an excellent choice of words, esprcially from someone who isn't even a native english speaker
Taxi Driver
Soen and Katatonia, two of greatest bands in the world right now.
Mr. Wayward
I'm kinda getting tired of all those bands mentioned here. Haken is absolutely uninspiring and boring now. Leprous? More of Einar Solberg's Aaaaaahhhaaaaawwwaaaaaa on each album. Katatonia? Sounds the same for years now. Dream Theater? More of the same on the new album. Soen is the only band I can listen to for more than a half hour. Kinda sad, actually. I used to be a huge Prog Metal fan, but the genre as a whole lacks of inspiration today.
Jorge Torres
@ahmed HuSeiN 💯💯💯
ahmed HuSeiN
@Jorge Torres they r great
Jvan G.
@needsmoreclipping Draconian and Paradise Lost, and Obscura is dropping
Shannon Ladiges
@Dmitri Donika always awesome
افكار - Afkar
You guys are the most underrated group of people alive !!!
Nazek Khayat
@Kozmotik COUNT ME IN 🤘
Naya Fawaz
Yes Indeed!
mohammed mazin
Couldn't agree more. So ridiculously underrated. Their most recent song Illusion is another hit from the upcoming album. I loved the Gilmorish solos in Illusion. cheers!