Swedish progressive metal outfit SOEN are generating significant anticipation ahead of their seventh studio album "Reliance," due January 16 via Silver Lining Music. The 10-track, 43-minute album continues the heavier trajectory the band has pursued since 2019's seminal "Lotus," an album that marked a turning point in SOEN's evolution from a TOOL-influenced progressive outfit into a more distinctive and aggressive entity with its own clearly defined identity.
Founded in 2010 by drummer Martin Lopez — formerly of OPETH, where his fluid, jazz-influenced drumming was a cornerstone of classic albums like "Blackwater Park" and "Deliverance" — and Swedish-Lebanese vocalist Joel Ekelöf, SOEN have steadily built one of the most compelling discographies in modern progressive metal. Each album has seen the band grow heavier and more confident, shedding early comparisons to TOOL while absorbing influences from post-metal, alternative rock and even industrial music.
Lead single "Primal" has already demonstrated a grittier, more aggressive approach that takes SOEN further from their atmospheric beginnings. The track's crushing guitar tone and Lopez's visceral drumming suggest that "Reliance" may be the band's most physically punishing record yet, while Ekelöf's soaring vocal melodies ensure that accessibility and emotional resonance remain central to the sound. Critics who have received advance copies praise the album's sophisticated blend of atmospheric depth with crushing heaviness — a balance that few bands in the progressive metal space achieve so naturally.
"Reliance" positions SOEN as a band in the midst of a creative peak, with each release building on the last in terms of ambition and execution. European tour dates are expected to follow the release, with the band likely to feature prominently on the summer festival circuit.