The provocative, imperious and engaging Sweden-based metal supergroup SOEN have announced the release date of their fifth album, “Imperial”, out on January 29th, 2021 via Silver Lining Music and will be available as a CD Digipack, Vinyl Album, digital formats and special D2C bundles. In addition, the lyric video for the first single “Antagonist” has been released today (directed by Zev Deans, special FX make-up by Beatrice Sniper). SOEN have also announced the first leg of their “Imperial” European Tour 2021, kicking off on April 6, 2021 in Oslo, Norway. View the video for “Antagonist” below.
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“Imperial” continues SOEN’s unique journey through the psyche of our species and the conundrum of our times. Founding members Joel Ekelöf (vocals) and Martin Lopez (drums), along with Lars Enok Åhlund (keyboards and guitar), Oleksii “Zlatoyar” Kobel (bass) and Cody Ford (lead guitar) have never shied away from challenging perceptions of life and humanity and have conjured eight crisp and supremely constructed songs spanning themes of frustration, reflection and hope. “Imperial” is the most fierce and dynamic release of SOEN’s journey, one which continues to be deeply therapeutic for both the group’s dedicated followers and the band themselves. Drummer Martin Lopez shares: “In my life I try to be as real as possible, but I think that the music, and nature, of SOEN are the only place that I really, really feel I can be myself. When you’re home, doing music, writing lyrics, that is where you really get to express yourself without any judgement and with total freedom.”
Produced by Iñaki Marconi and the band, “Imperial” was mixed and mastered by Kane Churko, who has worked with the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Bob Dylan, giving songs such as ‘Illusion’, ‘Modesty’ and the epic closer ‘Fortune’ a dimension and richness which will reach yet more ears and minds. The power and poetry of SOEN’s dynamics are honed more now than ever, something which is perversely a product of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It has obviously been a crazy, terrible thing for everyone, and for us as a band it has been really frustrating not being able to play shows,” says Martin Lopez “but also it has given us a clear window of opportunity to realize this album completely. We were able to spend 12 hours a day for many months bringing IMPERIAL to the place we truly wanted, mainly working on the groove and flow of the album.”
Lead single “Antagonist” storms through the gates with a massive heavy riff of intent, followed by an epic blend of strength, beauty and defiance of all the world’s darkest power mongers, captured in the lyrics ‘Dependency dampens the wild / Inequity weighs down the motion of progress / Life isn’t just to survive.’
“We will always be a band that has the old will to fight for freedom and all the important things in life, the people, the underdog,” furthers Lopez “You have to take on the big question marks such as what the f**k are we doing with our lives and where’s the empathy. Why do we keep on testing and crushing ourselves as a species?”
“Imperial” Album Artwork
“Imperial” track-listing:
1. Lumerian
2. Deceiver
3. Monarch
4. Illusion
5. Antagonist
6. Modesty
7. Dissident
8. Fortune
“Imperial” is an album which will engage the listener immediately and sustain long after this crazy time has passed, its rich details destined to make it a classic metal album of this era. “As we continue, we find inspiration in the sad fact that the world is getting more and more polarized, that it’s more complex and it’s not consensus or people getting along” says Ekelöf. “We continue to try and understand why and how that will affect us all.”
SOEN are an undeniable cypher for all which swirls around us, something which will continue to set them apart from their peers for years to come, and “Imperial” is the latest potent, unmissable commentary from their journey. Excited to bring the new material on the road, SOEN also announced the first leg of their “Imperial” European Tour 2021, which will kick-off in the Spring in Oslo, Norway. More dates to be announced soon; tickets and additional information available here.
Spring 2021 Tour Dates:
April 6 – John Dee, Oslo – Norway
April 7 – Pustervik, Gothenburg – Sweden
April 8 – Posten, Odense – Denmark
April 9 – Hellraiser, Leipzig – Germany
April 10 – Proxima, Warsaw – Poland
April 11 – Fraanz, Berlin – Germany
April 13 – Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg – Germany
April 14 – Z7, Pratteln – Switzerland
April 15 – Backstage Halle, Munich – Germany
April 16 – Revolver Club, San Donà di Piave – Italy
April 17 – Largo Venue, Rome – Italy
April 20 – Magazzini Generali, Milan – Italy
April 21 – Luxor, Cologne – Germany
April 22 – o2 Academy Islington, London – United Kingdom
April 23 – Melkweg, Amsterdam – The Netherlands
April 25 – Logo, Hamburg – Germany
April 28 – Klubben, Stockholm – Sweden
April 30 – Olympia, Tampere – Finland
May 1 – Tavastia, Helsinki – Finland
