Interview by Robert Cavuoto
Photo Credit: Jeremy Saffer
Soen will release their newest musical masterpiece Memorial, on September 1st via Silver Lining Music.
Memorial is the band’s first concept album heavily influenced by issues plaguing the world, particularly the war in Ukraine. They incorporate incredible storytelling with shades of “light in the dark” into their lush power metal songs. The band continues to be inspired by their musical past while keeping a keen eye on the future with songs that range from the haunting ballet of “Hollowed,” the pure metal of “Sincere,” and “Icon,” with its progressive, almost operatic moments.
The band, Cody Ford [Lead Guitar], Oleksii “Zlatoyar” Kobel [Bass], Joel Ekelöf [Vocals], Lars Enok Åhlund [Keyboards and Guitar], and Martin Lopez [Drums] will embark on a tour of Europe this September and October. Tickets are available here: https://soenmusic.com/tourdates/
To pre-Order Memorial, please here: https://smarturl.it/SoenMemorial
I had the pleasure of speaking with Joel Ekelöf and Martin Lopez about their concept album, the importance of merging different musical aspects, how the band challenged themselves on Memorial, their upcoming European tour, and hopes to come to the US very soon! Check the full interviews, and please make sure to follow My Global Mind on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to their YouTube channel.
Soen have announced the release of their new album, MEMORIAL, which will be coming out September 1 via Silver Lining Music.
MEMORIAL will be available as a Deluxe CD, 12” Vinyl Album in Black and color variants, digital formats and special D2C products and bundles. For pre-orders, go to this location.
The band have also released the hard-hitting first single, “Unbreakable.” Watch the video here.
The new single is a statement of intent of what’s to come from the forthcoming album and sees the band take a much heavier approach but still retain their melodic sensibilities.
Founding member and drummer Martin Lopez comments, “‘Unbreakable’ is a song about how you limit yourself as a human, by blindly believing in something.” Vocalist and co-founding member Joel Ekelöf continues, “Politicians and the media paint everything as black or white, entitling you to try to destroy your opponent instead of trying to find common ground. It’s key to be humble and open to different viewpoints to keep growing, ‘Unbreakable’ feels like a marriage between classic-metal and Soen.”
The new album has a potent drive and sees the band channel the ills of current society with a crisp, riff heavy ferocity but at the same time still showcasing Soen’s unique blend of progression, aggression, and beauty.
MEMORIAL is drenched in melody with face-crushing guitars and rhythms from start to finish. Album opener “Sincere” starts off with relentless propulsion, whilst the sheer power of the title track is enriched with a solid groove, underlying the weighty tones and evocative vocals of Joel Ekelöf.
Finishing with the beautiful, tragic, Pink Floyd-esque ballad “Vitals,” MEMORIAL is arguably the band finding their best stride yet. Soen have been building up to this moment for years and now they’re here with MEMORIAL, which is an inspiring modern hard rock classic.
Soen are completed by Lars Enok Åhlund (Keyboards and Guitar), Oleksii ‘Zlatoyar’ Kobel (Bass) and Cody Ford (Lead Guitar) and are set to play at this year’s Download Festival (GB) on Sunday, June 11, before embarking on the Memorial 2023 tour in Europe this September, with the newly added show at the Locomotiv in Bologna (IT).
MEMORIAL 2023 TOUR DATES
9/20 Odense (DK) – Posten
9/21 Copenhagen (DK) – Amager Bio
9/22 Berlin (DE) – Kesselhaus
9/23 Leipzig (DE) – Täubchemthal
9/26 Prague (CZ) – Palak Akropolis
9/27 Zurich (CH) – Komplex 457
9/28 Munich (DE) – Backstage Werk
9/29 Vienna (AT) – Simm City
9/30 Bologna (IT) – Locomotiv
10/3 Bilbao (ES) – Kafe Antzokia
10/4 Porto (PT) – Hard Club
10/5 Lisbon (PT) – Lisboa Ao Vivo
10/6 Madrid (ES) – La Paqui
10/7 Sevilla (ES) – Custom
10/8 Murcia (ES) – Garaje
10/10 Barcelona (ES) – Apolo
10/11 Lyon (FR) – Ninkasi Kao
10/12 Sint Niklaas (BE) – De Casino
10/14 Amsterdam (NL) – Melkweg
10/15 Paris (FR) – Elysee Montmartre
10/17 Frankfurt (DE) – Batschkapp
10/18 Strasbourg (FR) – La Laiterie
10/20 Cologne (DE) – Essigfabrik
10/22 Hamburg (DE) – Knust
More dates to be announced soon.
SOEN:
Joel Ekelöf – Vocals
Martin Lopez – Drums
Lars Enok Åhlund – Keyboards and Guitar
Cody Ford – Lead Guitar
Oleksii “Zlatoyar” Kobel – Bass
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