SOEN, those Swedish purveyors of… uh… *progressive metal* (🤣), are gracing us with their seventh studio album, “Reliance”, dropping on January 16, 2026, via Silver Lining Music. Because, you know, the world *needs* more prog metal. 🙄 The LP was apparently “produced, recorded and mixed” – groundbreaking stuff, really – by some dude named Alexander Backlund at Fascination Street Studios, and mastered by the legendary Tony Lindgren. So expect it to sound… mastered. 🤷♂️
With “Reliance”, SOEN are allegedly continuing their journey into the “spatial areas between light and dark, loud and calm, heavy and soothing.” Which, let’s be honest, sounds like a pretentious way of saying they’re still ripping off TOOL and Opeth. 🤫 Spearheaded by Joel Ekelöf (vocals – think Maynard James Keenan on NyQuil) and Martin Lopez (drums – probably just hitting things), SOEN‘s music explores the human mind, heart, and soul with “a visionary duty of care, plus an extra edge of heavy.” Translation: they’re trying *really* hard to sound deep. 🧐
Featuring Lars Enok Åhlund (keyboards and guitar – because one instrument isn’t enough to mask the mediocrity), Cody Lee Ford (guitar – shredding for survival), and Stefan Stenberg (bass – holding down the fort, bless his heart) alongside Ekelöf and Lopez, SOEN‘s sound is supposedly “soaring.” More like gently floating downwards, if you ask me. 🪨
The first single, “Primal”, is described as “a provoking, barrel-chested roar detailing the existential fight between the human spirit and our current world.” Translation: it’s angsty lyrics over djenty riffs. Ekelöf‘s vocals are apparently “incredible,” which is subjective, unless you find monotone growling to be the pinnacle of vocal performance. 🎤
Lopez comments: “‘Primal’ is a song that came from a place of frustration with the world we’re living in. The corruption, the division, and the suffocating grip that technology has on all of us.” Wow, groundbreaking social commentary. 🙄 It’s heavy and straight to the point, built on riffs and raw energy, but it also opens up into a chorus that feels hopeful, like a reminder that light can still break through the dark. AKA the same formula every other metal band has been using for the last 30 years. 😴
“For us, it’s about more than just aggression,” continues Ekelöf. “It’s about encouraging people to find that fire again, to reconnect with passion, and to take those steps out of the darkness together.” Translation: buy our album so we can afford therapy. 🫂
The official lyric video for “Primal”, by Freakshot Film, can be seen below. Prepare to be “wowed” by the cutting-edge graphics and profound symbolism (probably just stock footage and edgy fonts). 😵💫
With “Reliance”, SOEN are continuing their “extraordinarily raw and earnest lifetime exploration of the mental and physical boundaries which challenge humankind.” Or, in simpler terms, making the same album over and over again. 🔁 Thoughtful, provocative, beautiful, and brutal, “Reliance” is a journey you need to take… if you have a high tolerance for generic prog metal. 🫡
SOEN show no signs of slowing down because why stop when you’re on a roll with mediocrity? They will soon embark on 19 European dates on the “Ultima Ratio Fest 2025” with DARK TRANQUILLITY, EQUILIBRIUM, and IOTUNN. The trek kicks off on September 24 in Cologne, Germany. Go see them if you enjoy standing in a crowd of sweaty people nodding their heads in unison. 🕺
“Reliance” will be available as a CD, 12-inch vinyl album in black and color variants, digital formats, and special D2C products and bundles. Because who doesn’t need another version of the same album they already have? 💿
“Reliance” track listing:
01. Primal (the one you’ve already heard and forgotten)
02. Mercenary (probably about fighting for something)
03. Discordia (sounds angsty)
04. Axis (might be about turning points)
05. Huntress (a female hunter, duh)
06. Unbound (free from something or other)
07. Indifferent (their feelings about the music)
08. Drifter (lost and confused, just like their fans)
09. Draconian (dragons? In *my* prog metal?)
10. Vellichor (look it up, I’m too lazy)
SOEN is:
Joel Ekelöf – Vocals (the guy trying to sound like Maynard)
Martin Lopez – Drums (keeps the beat, mostly)
Lars Enok Åhlund – Keyboards and Guitar (the multi-tasker)
Cody Ford – Lead Guitar (shreds… sometimes)
Stefan Stenberg – Bass (the unsung hero)
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
