Soen - Lotus

Soen Lotus cover
Soen
Lotus
Silver Lining Music
2019
9
Almost two years after the release of “Lykaia”, Soen are back with their new release “Lotus” and a new guitarist, Cody Ford. The cooperation with Marcus Jidell (The Doomsday Kingdom, Avatarium, ex-Royal Hunt) didn’t last that long, but I guess parting ways is always for the best of both parts most of the times.
 
Now, you may wonder what’s “Lotus” all about. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t expecting something like this, cuz the band has released several great albums in a row, but thankfully with this album they’ve proven that they have taken their own road to success.
 
Soen have defined their sound with their previous release, more or less, so none would expect to listen to something totally different here. Hence, Soen sound more mature, more lyrical and more atmospheric than ever before. Moreover, they’ve dared to add a few more pop melodies to their songs and that worked for their own benefit, as the final result is enthralling at least. Heavy riffs, atmospheric parts along with catchy melodies is the triptych of “Lotus” success.
 
The musicianship is great, as always, but I must say that Joel Eckelöf has exceeded himself here, as he’s everywhere and his amazing and theatrical performances are the alpha & the omega of the album’s overall sound. Even though he’s a remarkable vocalist, I think he has never sounded that good before… and he’s great on stage as well. “Lotus” is surely Soen’s best work to date and one of the best modern atmospheric prog metal albums of 2019. Their old fans will be thrilled… as for the new ones; it’s never too late to discover this terrific band!