On February 1st 2019, Swedish-based progressive metal group Soen will release their 4th album, Lotus, via Silver Lining Music. Pre-order available from November 16th.
Having spent the last 6 months digging deep into the muddy depths of their emotions, the nine songs comprising Lotus are intoxicating, addictive aural therapies, questioning much of today’s darkness while juxtaposing them with moments of great escape and hope.
“We are all very fortunate to have this place where we can go and explore thoughts, perspectives and emotions which everyday life maybe does not have the room for,” says Martin Lopez, one of Soen’s founding members, “there are definitely things that we say, and places we go, in Soen which would be very hard to express without us coming together and creating music.”
Produced by David Castillo and Iñaki Marconi at Ghostward Studios and Studio 6 between July and October 2018, the album marks the first recorded Soen work of new Canadian-born guitarist Cody Ford, whilst the centre-point of the album remains those trademark, snap-heavy, progressive Soen riffs. Songs such as “Rival”, “Covenant” and “Martyrs” are dissertations on modern societies, fraught with poetic, finitely designed confusion and chaos, yet as the name Lotus suggests, there is still strength, beauty and purity to be extracted from what at times seems like an endless cycle of human regression.
“The world right now is undeniably a very strange, tense place,” says Lopez, “I think the songs clearly reflect that, but they also reflect that we must now be stronger than ever in challenging confronting and dealing with the pandemonium life throws at us all.”
The lavish Lotus artwork features nothing other than an enigmatic and engaging copper-reflective pyramid, offering elements of the 6th sense and greater consciousness before gate-folding open to reveal a girl touched by the copper aura.
“We each have our own personal ideas as to what it means,” says Lopez, “but we’d much rather discuss what others think, what our audience think, what the media thinks. I think it’s extremely important that we all communicate with each other and take the time to fully conceive our own meanings and interactions with life and creativity.”
“Ultimately,” concludes Ekelöf, “Lotus is about rising from whatever darkness, or dark places, you might find yourself. And its inspiration comes from a deep motivation to not just settle for the situation you might find yourself in. Lotus is about changing life -both your own and your surroundings for which we must all take responsibility- and make them better rather than letting darkness pacify you and take you down.”
Soen will be bringing Lotus on the road with them as they tour Europe starting in March 2019, which will herald an exciting new chapter of skin-shedding, soul-searching and self-realizing Soenjourns for all who dare to commit to the ride.
2019 European Tour:
| 12 March - NORWAY - John B, Oslo |
| 13 March - DENMARK - TBC, Copenhagen |
| 14 March - GERMANY - Logo, Hamburg |
| 15 March - GERMANY - Roadrunner, Berlin |
| 18 March - GERMANY - Backsatge Werk, Munich |
| 20 March - GERMANY - Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg |
| 21 March - GERMANY - Helios, Cologne |
| 22 March - NETHERLANDS - De Effenaar, Eindhoven |
| 25 March - UK - O2 Academy Islington, London |
| 28 March - SPAIN - Salamandra, Barelona |
| 29 March - SPAIN - Caracol, Madrid |
| 30 March - PORTUGAL - Hard Club, Porto |
| 31 March - PORTUGAL - RCA, Lisbon |
| 3 April - SWITZERLAND - Z7, Pratteln |
| 4 April - ITALY - Legent Club, Milano |
| 5 April - ITALY - Orion Ciampino, Roma |
| 6 April - ITALY - Sonic Room, Fabricia |
*Tickets on Sale from Monday Nov 5th, buy your ticket:here
More European dates to be announced very soon.
SOEN are:
- Joel Ekelöf - Vocals
- Martin Lopez - Drums
- Lars Åhlund - Keys & Guitar
- Stefan Stenberg - Bass
- Cody Ford - Lead Guitar
LOTUS CREDITS:
- Written by Soen
- Produced by David Castillo and Iñaki Marconi
- Mixed by David Castillo
- Mastering by Jens Bogren
- Cello by Emeli Jeremias
- Album Design by Enrique Zabala & Forma Estudio
- Cover Artwork by Wriliya
- Booklet Images by Stephanie Pearl
- Band Photo by Iñaki Marconi
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