Release date: 9/1/2023
Origin: Sweden
Personnel: Joel Ekelof-vox, Cody Lee Ford-guitar, Lars Ahlund-guitar/keyboards, Oleksii ‘Zlatoyar’ Kobel-bass, Martin Lopez-drums
Damn! This was an unexpected surprise. After first hearing this one, I actually shouted out loud, “Finally!” Because Soen’s career up to this point has been decent, but somewhat unremarkable. Drummer Martin Lopez was a key component to Opeth’s prime years and when he left Opeth, there was a pretty high expectation as to what kind of project he would put out. Soen has tended to be a little more than a capable Tool knockoff. Most of their past work was passable, but kind of uninspired. It was with this background that Memorial came out and just punched everyone in the face. This album has punch. This album has verve. This album is a damn fine slice of wax. Sure, this one is still very emotive, but the guitar work just lifts the thing into another territory and it feels like Soen has finally come into their own.
4.5 flip flops out of 5
The list so far:
7. Soen-Memorial
8. Panopticon-The Rime of Memory
9. Mutoid Man-Mutants
10. Enslaved-Heimdal
11. Thron-Dust
12. Harboured-Harboured
13. Herod-Iconoclast
14. Insomnium-Anno 1696
15. Spirit Adrift-Ghost At the Gallows
16. Church of Misery-Born Under a Mad Sign
17. Primordial-How It Ends
18. Imperium Dekadenz-Into Sorrow Evermore
19. Royal Thunder-Rebuilding the Mountain
20. Katatonia-Sky Void of Stars
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 