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
The Other's Fall
Soen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
so disparate.
All unrecognized,
come indifference.
Grounded in the flow
that all vigorate.
Source we long forgot
with our innocence.
clear the mind to conceive the whole.
Every cell
interblend.
Put the world before me.
One for one in the
individual
handed down ideal
how to find.
no more sympathy
for the vulnerable
as they're turned away,
out of mind.
With another face on.
Heed the Other,
clear the mind to conceive the whole
Every cell
interblend.
Put the world before me.
Once eyes turn
all is lost,
yield this love
tied umbilically.
We once for all
cause the Other's fall,
time has come for all.
Carnal body echoes.
Member notion fading.
Thoughts dissolve transcending
into satcitananda.
Spirit consciousness begin the rising.
Satcitananda parabrahma.
Purushottama paramatma.
Guide me over,
let me render.
Once it's over,
turn asunder.
Breathe in the possible.
Breathe in the charge of the light.
Breathe in the passing night,
come be it lost from sight.
Be the past here.
Be every thought you have.
Let everywhere be your side.
New is the same old.
Affirmed is the new unknow.
Infinite torans,
eternal the hours.
The lyrics to Soen's song The Other's Fall seem to be a reflection on the power of the collective if everyone works together towards a common goal. The song appears to be a call to action, encouraging people to put aside their differences and work towards a shared purpose. However, the lyrics also highlight the difficulties in achieving this, as people are often indifferent to those who are different from them. The lyrics suggest that this indifference arises from a lack of understanding and a forgetfulness of the source that connects us all.
The reference to "the Other" may be interpreted in different ways, either as a reminder to recognize and acknowledge those who may be different from us or as a call to embrace the different aspects of ourselves that we often ignore or reject. The lyrics also seem to suggest that in order to achieve this unity, we need to clear our minds and let go of our individual biases.
The last few lines of the song reveal a spiritual aspect, where the individual consciousness dissolves and transcends into a higher state. The lyrics urge the listener to breathe in the possible and to embrace the unknown as something to be affirmed and explored.
Overall, the lyrics of The Other's Fall seem to be a call for unity and a recognition of the power that can arise from working together towards a common goal.
Line by Line Meaning
Meeting eye to eye
so disparate.
Two individuals are meeting and seeing each other's differences.
All unrecognized,
come indifference.
Despite seeing differences, they fail to recognize each other and become indifferent.
Grounded in the flow
that all vigorate.
They are both grounded in something that invigorates them.
Source we long forgot
with our innocence.
They have forgotten the source that kept them innocent.
Heed the Other,
clear the mind to conceive the whole.
They must listen to each other and clear their minds to see the bigger picture.
Every cell
interblend.
They must merge and blend together in every way possible.
Put the world before me.
They must prioritize the world before themselves.
One for one in the
individual
handed down ideal
how to find.
They must work together to find an ideal that is individual but is handed down.
no more sympathy
for the vulnerable
as they're turned away,
out of mind.
They are no longer sympathetic towards the vulnerable and turn a blind eye to them.
With another face on.
They present themselves differently to others.
Once eyes turn
all is lost,
yield this love
tied umbilically.
As soon as they turn their eyes away from each other, everything falls apart and they lose their love that once bound them together.
We once for all
cause the Other's fall,
time has come for all.
They are the cause for each other's downfall and the time has come for them to face it.
Carnal body echoes.
Member notion fading.
Thoughts dissolve transcending
into satcitananda.
Their physical body echoes while their thoughts fade away into something more spiritual like satcitananda.
Spirit consciousness begin the rising.
Satcitananda parabrahma.
Purushottama paramatma.
Their spirit consciousness is beginning to rise and they are realizing higher entities like satcitananda, parabrahma and paramatma.
Guide me over,
let me render.
Once it's over,
turn asunder.
They want guidance and to render themselves open to new experiences. Once they are done, they will turn themselves apart.
Breathe in the possible.
Breathe in the charge of the light.
Breathe in the passing night,
come be it lost from sight.
They are breathing in the possibility while charging with light. They are also accepting that the passing night will be lost from their sight forever.
Be the past here.
Be every thought you have.
Let everywhere be your side.
They want to be present in the past, every moment and every thought they have. They want everywhere to be by their side.
New is the same old.
Affirmed is the new unknow.
Infinite torans,
eternal the hours.
The new things are actually the same old things in a different form. They are affirming their newness and the unknown quality. They realize that the hours are eternal and never-ending.
Writer(s): Stefan Stenberg, Martin Lopez, Joel Ekeloef, Joakim Platbarzdis
Contributed by Isaiah W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.