Soen

About Soen

Soen started as one of those supergroup projects that doesn't always announce itself as one. Formed in 2004 by drummer Martin Lopez and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis in Stockholm, the band didn't rush anything. Lopez had just left Opeth after a decade-long run that included some of progressive death metal's most respected albums, so expectations were there from the start.

The band's lineup eventually solidified with vocalist Joel Ekelöf, bassist Steve Di Giorgio (Death, Testament, basically everyone), and a second guitarist in the form of Joakim Platbarzdis. They spent years writing before releasing their debut, Cognitive, in 2012. The album arrived with obvious Tool comparisons, which happens to pretty much every band that combines heavy riffs with atmospheric passages and philosophical lyrics. But Cognitive had its own thing going, particularly in how Lopez's intricate drumming anchored these long-form compositions that built tension without relying on brutality.

Tellurian followed in 2014 and showed the band leaning further into melody and clean vocals. Ekelöf's voice became more central to their identity, less of a texture and more of a focal point. Tracks like "Tabula Rasa" demonstrated they could write actual hooks without abandoning the progressive structures that gave them room to explore.

The real shift came with Lykaia in 2017. The production got cleaner, the songs got tighter, and suddenly Soen sounded less like a collection of influences and more like a defined entity. "Sectarian" and "Opal" became setlist staples for good reason. They'd figured out how to balance accessibility with complexity, which is harder than it sounds when you're working in a genre where fans argue about time signatures.

Lotus arrived in 2019 and pushed them even further into melodic territory. Some longtime fans balked at the increasingly direct songwriting, but tracks like "Antagonist" and "Martyrs" proved they could strip things down without losing what made them interesting. The album charted across Europe and expanded their touring reach significantly.

Imperial came in 2021 during the lockdown era, written and recorded under those constraints. It's probably their most emotionally direct record, dealing with control and freedom in ways that felt pretty relevant at the time. The production, handled by David Castillo and Iñaki Marconi, gave everything space to breathe.

These days they're an established presence in the progressive metal world, headlining decent-sized venues and appearing at festivals that cater to people who own multiple Porcupine Tree albums. They've managed to carve out their own lane without either chasing trends or rigidly sticking to one formula. Whether you consider them Tool-adjacent or something more distinct probably depends on how deep you are in this particular corner of heavy music, but at this point they've been doing it long enough to stand on their own work.

Soen plays with visible precision. Crowds are attentive and quiet between songs, which shouldn't happen at metal shows but does here. Ekelöf commands the room without histrionics. The band locks in tight, and you notice the arrangements you might've missed on record.

Known for Lucidity, The Curse, Hollow, Cognitive, Deliverance

See Soen Live