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Soen

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the Japanese poet Soen, see Fukuda Chiyo-ni. For the Japanese magazine, see Soen (magazine).
Soen
Soen in 2019
Soen in 2019
Background information
OriginSweden
Genres
Years active2010–present
Labels
MembersMartin Lopez
Joel Ekelöf
Lars Åhlund
Cody Ford
Oleksii 'Zlatoyar' Kobel
Past membersSteve Di Giorgio
Joakim Platbarzdis
Marcus Jidell
Stefan Stenberg
Websitesoenmusic.com

Soen is a Swedish progressive metal band formed in 2010. The group consists of vocalist Joel Ekelöf, guitarist Cody Lee Ford, bassist Oleksii 'Zlatoyar' Kobel, drummer Martin Lopez and keyboardist Lars Åhlund. They are currently signed to Silver Lining and have released six studio albums. Their most recent studio album, Memorial, was released on 1 September 2023.

History

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Initially formed in 2004,[1] it was in May 2010 that the formation of Soen was announced. The original lineup consisted of former Opeth drummer Martin Lopez, ex-Death, Testament and Sadus bassist Steve Di Giorgio, Willowtree vocalist Joel Ekelöf and guitarist Joakim Platbarzdis.[2] The group's first song, "Fraccions", was released on the band's official website in October 2010.[3] Their first video, for the song "Savia", was posted on their Facebook page in February 2012.[4] 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."[2] Their debut, Cognitive, was released in February 2012 receiving positive critical reception. The members' technical proficiency was praised the most, 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".[5]

Cognitive was released on Spinefarm Records on 15 February 2012. The album was mixed by David Bottrill (Tool, Coheed and Cambria, Silverchair, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, etc.) and mastered by João Carvalho. There is also a bonus track on the Japanese edition called "Writhen".[5] Soen's second album, Tellurian was released on 4 November 2014. The album was produced by Platbarzdis, mixed again by David Bottrill and mastered at Bob Ludwig's Gateway setup in the U.S. by Adam Ayan. Lykaia is the third album released by Soen on 3 February 2017. The whole album was recorded using analog equipment. Their fourth album, Lotus, was released on 1 February 2019. Their fifth album, Imperial, was released on 29 January 2021.[6] Their sixth album, Memorial, was released on 1 September 2023.

Band members

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Soen at Euroblast Festival 2018
Current
  • Martín López – drums, percussion (2010–present)
  • Joel Ekelöf – lead vocals (2010–present)
  • Lars Åhlund – keyboards, guitars, backing vocals (2014–present)
  • Cody Lee Ford – guitars, backing vocals (2018–present)
  • Oleksii 'Zlatoyar' Kobel – bass (2020–present)
Former
  • Steve Di Giorgio – bass (2010–2013)
  • Joakim Platbarzdis – guitars (2010–2015)
  • Marcus Jidell – guitars (2015–2018)
  • Stefan Stenberg – bass (2013–2020)
Session
  • Christian Andolf – bass
  • Inti Oyarzún – bass

Timeline

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Title Peak chart positions
AUT
[7] 		BEL
(WA)
[8] 		FIN
[9] 		GER
[10] 		NLD
[11] 		SWI
[12] 		US Heat
[13]
2012 Cognitive — — 32 — — — —
2014 Tellurian — — — — — — —
2017 Lykaia 52 — — 72 — 66 18
2019 Lotus 48 166 — 22 185 37 13
2021 Imperial 19 123 17 16 71 9 —
2023 Memorial — — 18
[14] 		14 69 8 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Live albums

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Year Title Peak chart positions
GER
[10] 		SWI
[12]
2022 Atlantis 60 47

Singles

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  • "Savia" (2012)
  • "Delenda" (2012)
  • "Tabula Rasa" (2014)
  • "The Words" (2014)
  • "Sectarian" (2016)
  • "Lucidity" (2017)
  • "Opal" (2017)
  • "Rival" (2018)
  • "Martyrs" (2018)
  • "Lotus" (2019)
  • "Antagonist" (2020)
  • "Monarch" (2020)
  • "Illusion" (2021)
  • "EMDR" (2021)
  • "Thurifer" (2021)
  • "Unbreakable" (2023)
  • "Memorial" (2023)
  • "Violence" (2023)

References

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  1. ^ "Soen". Facebook.com. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Former OPETH Drummer Joins Forces With SADUS Bassist - May 28, 2010". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on 1 February 2013.
  3. ^ "SOEN Featuring MARTIN LOPEZ, STEVE DIGIORGIO: New Song Posted Online - Oct. 17, 2010". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Former OPETH Drummer's SOEN: 'Savia' Video Released - Feb. 2, 2012". Blabbermouth.net. Archived from the original on 13 July 2012.
  5. ^ a b Interview with Martin Lopez, by Grande-Rock.com retrieved on 15 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Soen debut new song". Sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Das österreichische Hitparaden- und Musik-Portal". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  8. ^ "Ultratop / Soen". Ultratop (in French).
  9. ^ "Finnish charts portal". finnishcharts.com. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  10. ^ a b "Discographie Soen". GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  11. ^ Steffen Hung. "Dutch Charts". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community". Hitparade.ch. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Soen Chart History: Heatseekers Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  14. ^ "Albumit 36/2023" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
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