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
Rival
Soen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They led us here, to rest our hearts
A shelter for the future born
To embrace peace and harvest hope
Divided from the ones we love
We saw them slay what we adore
The soil is dry, the water foul
The ones we leave are left behind in need
For all I had, vanished
My hands will burn your walls
This is who I am, fallen
An icon of the loss
For all the fire
For all the fire
The sanctions that you force on us
Asphyxiate the overcome
Despair is built within our house
Breeding the weak to feed the strong
The thoughts you feed, you can't restrain
They'll turn to you and be your bane
For all I had, vanished
My hands will burn your walls
This is who I am, fallen
Commander of the lost
For all the fire
For all the fire
The walls are higher, fields are burning
And my dreams are all there is
The light is blinding, no prayers answered
For salvation never came
The song "Rival" by Soen is a critique on the broken promises of leaders who lure people to a new land or country with a promise of hope, peace, and rest only to turn tables on them. The first stanza talks about how their leaders promised a new home, a tranquil place where hope would be nurtured, and peace would thrive. However, upon arrival, they realize that their loved ones are left behind in need, and the land is barren, the water contaminated. The second stanza reveals that the community is divided, and the ones they loved were destroyed. The imagery of the dry soil and foul water provides a metaphor for the land's state and, metaphorically, their shattered dreams.
The chorus of the song speaks of the singer's anger and determination to fight back against the tyranny of their leaders. They will not give up and will fight back with all they got, even if it means putting their hands in the fire. The next verses talk about the sanctions imposed upon them by their leaders, which have left them hopeless and weak. They accuse their leaders of feeding their thoughts, only to turn against them, becoming their curse. The final stanza describes the current state, where the fields are burning, their dreams shattered, and no prayers answered. Overall, the song speaks about rising against oppressors and fighting to reclaim what they were promised.
Line by Line Meaning
They promised this would be our home
We were told this land would be our new home
They led us here, to rest our hearts
Our leaders brought us here to heal our pain
A shelter for the future born
A place for the children yet to come
To embrace peace and harvest hope
Where we could find peace and hope for the future
Divided from the ones we love
Separated from our loved ones
We saw them slay what we adore
We witnessed the destruction of what we cherish
The soil is dry, the water foul
The land is barren and the water is polluted
There's only past where I came from
There's nothing left for me in my former home
The ones we leave are left behind in need
Those we left behind are still in need
For all I had, vanished
Everything I had is gone
My hands will burn your walls
I will fight against you with all my strength
This is who I am, fallen
I am broken and defeated
An icon of the loss
A symbol of all that's been lost
For all the fire
Everything we've been through
The sanctions that you force on us
The restrictions you impose on us
Asphyxiate the overcome
Are suffocating those who are struggling
Despair is built within our house
We are overwhelmed by despair
Breeding the weak to feed the strong
The strong are taking advantage of the weak
The thoughts you feed, you can't restrain
The ideas you're promoting will turn against you
They'll turn to you and be your bane
They will become the source of your downfall
Commander of the lost
Leading those who have nothing left
The walls are higher, fields are burning
The barriers are stronger and destruction is all around
And my dreams are all there is
All that's left are my hopes and dreams
The light is blinding, no prayers answered
We can't see the way forward, and our prayers are unanswered
For salvation never came
We have yet to find salvation
Writer(s): Lars Ahlund, Leif Stenberg, Martin Lopez, Joel Ekelof
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
azerethum
(Lyrics taken from their official site)
They promised this would be our home
They led us here, to rest our hearts
A shelter for the future born
To embrace peace and harvest hope
Divided from the ones we love
We saw them slay what we adore
The soil is dry, the water foul
There's only past where I came from
The ones we leave are left behind in need
For all I had, vanished
My hands will burn your walls
This is who I am, fallen
An icon of the loss
For all the fire
For all the fire
The sanctions that you force on us
Asphyxiate the overcome
Despair is built within our house
Breeding the weak to feed the strong
The thoughts you feed, you can't restrain
They'll turn to you
ANd be your bane
For all I had, vanished
My hands will burn your walls
This is who I am, fallen
Commander of the lost
For all the fire
For all the fire
The walls are higher, fields are burning and my dreams are all there is
The light is blinding, no prayers answered for salvation never came
Grim.St
I would love to have a show with Soen and Katatonia.
lucid phreak
HELL YES!
nemolab lamantin
Best on earth
Lotta Paulsson
Me too ☺
Jennifer葛
My dream lineup for a festival or something would be Soen, Leprous, Rishloo, Tool, Wheel, Gojira, and Riverside. (But I of course wouldn't mind Opeth, Haaken, Karnivool, or Katatonia, either) 🤘
Theta's World
@chase mccreery not only in the states ... spread the love
Niklas MX
AWESOME! Soen is definitely an amazing band and they only deliver high quality albums. Congrats and I look forward to seeing you live soon! YES!
EinherjarValhol
Done it again guys, album number 4 looks to be another stunning work of art! Can't wait for the London show!
Marc-Gabriel Milliard
This is perfect, already in love with the song and I can't wait to fall in love with the complete album in frebruary. You guys are so talented !!!
Cody Beinert
Epic song! Your Lykaia album was my favorite album of 2017, and if this track is any indication, this may surpass that one! I'm really excited!