Soen - Tellurian
Spinefarm Records
Progressive/Post-Metal
9 songs (52'58'')
Release year: 2014
Soen, Spinefarm Records
Reviewed by Jared
Album of the month

It’s not uncommon to hear the band Soen be referred to as a Tool sounding band, especially with their first album, Cognitive. I can’t say I’ve ever been much of a big Tool fan, having only listened to their album, Ænima, but after spending some time Tellurian, I am certainly a bigger fan of Soen. This progressive metal group is backed by Joel Ekelöf (Willotree), bassist Stefan Stenberg, guitarist Kim Platbarzdis, and most recognized, the drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, Amon Amarth).

Typically, I hold a lot of my love for metal music in the black and death areas (but still trying to enjoy every genre possible). But every once in a while an album will throw me a curveball and I will fall head over heels. This is exactly what happened with Tellurian, Soen’s newest and most superb release.

Tellurian begins with a tribal feel, with drums for the short introductory track. Tabula Rasa follows, exploding with heavy sound. After the vocals and cleaner guitars emerged, I felt way out of my usual comfort zone, but as the song continued forward, there are a lot of fun sluggish, heavy riffs and absolutely beautifully sung vocals. Specifically one of the tracks where Joel Ekelöf really showcases his amazing talent with his voice is found on The Words. This track is undeniably beautiful, with its use of string instruments, but more notably what steals the show is Ekelöf’s flawless vocal performance which is very powerful and resonates deep.

Pluton is a weighty monster of a track, clocking over seven minutes. Many mood changes make up this piece, flowing brilliantly into one idea after the other. It’s a slower track overall, but every last second of this piece is so well crafted. The beginning is more of a heavy slug fest of riffs, but towards the end, everything becomes so emotionally gripping, and absolutely unforgettable.

Just before the album’s end, one of the tracks that really stood out to me was Void. Riffs were a bit groovy and psychedelic sounding, especially the main guitar lick which pulled me in easily. But at this point, I had not realized how far deep into the album I was. Time easily slipped away from me, because in short, this album is just too damn entertaining and fun.

Tellurian took me by complete surprise. Initially going into it, I had not expected myself to enjoy this as much I had. For fans of progressive metal, Tellurian is a must have and must listen this year. Soen are heading in a great direction with their second album, and it excites me to see what the future holds for this band.

Killing Songs :
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Jared quoted 92 / 100
Other albums by Soen that we have reviewed:
Soen - Lotus reviewed by Goat and quoted 85 / 100
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