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LYKAIA

Soen

Experimental/Post Metal


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Soen Lykaia album cover
3.78 | 182 ratings | 4 reviews | 27% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2017

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Sectarian (5:53)
2. Orison (7:06)
3. Lucidity (6:35)
4. Opal (6:44)
5. Jinn (5:49)
6. Sister (5:29)
7. Stray (5:37)
8. Paragon (6:23)

Total Time 49:36

Bonus track on 2017 CD release:
9. God's Acre (8:10)

Bonus tracks on 2018 remaster:
9. Vitrol (7:39)
10. God's Acre (8:12)
11. Sectarian (live in Lisbon) (6:26)
12. Jinn (live in Lisbon) (6:54)
13. Lucidity (live in Rome) (7:34)

Line-up / Musicians

- Joel Ekelöf / vocals
- Marcus Jidell / guitar, producer
- Lars Åhlund / keyboards (organ, Rhodes), guitar
- Stefan Stenberg / bass
- Martin Lopez / drums & percussion

With:
- Andreas Tengberg / violin, cello

Releases information

Artwork: Alvaro Cubero

LP UDR ‎- UDR067P42 (2017, Europe)

CD UDR ‎- UDR067PO01 (2017, Europe) With a bonus track
CD Silver Lining Music ‎SLM067P02 (2018, Europe) Remastered with 5 bonus tracks, new cover art and sub-titled "Revisited"

Thanks to mbzr48 for the addition
and to Quinino for the last updates
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SOEN Lykaia ratings distribution


3.78
(182 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(27%)
27%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(43%)
43%
Good, but non-essential (25%)
25%
Collectors/fans only (2%)
2%
Poor. Only for completionists (3%)
3%

SOEN Lykaia reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars A multi-national band based in Sweden, this is SOEN's third album of LEPROUS/KARNIVOOL/VOTUM-like progressive metal music. Excellent sound production makes this album a joy to listen to--as do the variations in styles, yet there is something missing to bring this up to a level with the aforementioned masters of atmospheric prog metal.

01. "Sectarian" (5:55) vocals and heavy metal music sound very much like countrymates LEPROUS. A little too straightforward and monotonous. (7.5/10)

02. "Orison" (7:07) the sound here is very much like TOOL and then KARNIVOOL with the chorus. Nice lead guitar work--both the djenty riffing and the delicate picking. (8.5/10)

03. "Lucidity" (6:36) a kind of PINK FLOYD/AUTUMN CHORUS spacey folk mix, this is definitely a highlight for me. (9/10)

04. "Opal" (6:46) opens JUST LIKE the first song! The little multi-guitar riffs beneath the singing are rather annoying. The music and musicianship in the chorus sections are so simple. Despite the interesting guitar soloing in the fifth minute and the CY CURNIN-like singing over empty space in the sixth, this is nothing to write home about. (7.5/10)

05. "Jinn" (5:41) a nice change in the mix with the delicate sung voice more forward from the start. The music builds beneath and that works well. Nice chorus section, too. Lots of nice, interesting changes over the course of this song, including a few Middle Eastern flavors. A top three song from me. (9/10)

06. "Sister" (5:30) interesting for the heavy guitar parts contrasted with the use of a breathy, delicate singing voice-- at least until the "Sister" choruses. It works. (8.5/10)

07. "Stray" (5:38) nice sounds, structures, speed, excellent guitar work and great vocal. i love the delicate interlude in the second half of the fourth minute. Another top three for me. (9/10)

08. "Paragon" (6:25) slow, spacious, yet heavy, almost bluesy, with a soft, delicate voice used again for delivery of the lyrics. Organ solo before distorted guitar chords usher in the chorus and screaming GILMOUR-esque lead guitar solo. Perhaps a little too Floydian (until the end). (8/10)

09. "Gods Acre" (8:10) another slower paced, more spacious song that sounds very much like Australia's top notch TOOL-inspired band, KARNIVOOL, only not as nuanced or sophisticated. The song plays out more like a very straightforward, four-chord stoner-rock song. Their usual break-down, soft section at the two-thirds mark is getting a little too predictable and, thus, old. (8.5/10)

Though singer Joel Ekel'f has a top notch voice--with excellent clarity, diversity, and control--his deliveries of the lyrics are a little too straightforward. I'd like to see more quirks and ticks to help me take notice, otherwise he's just a white bread version of Ian Kenny or Einar Solberg. As a matter of fact, it feels as if all of these fine musicians are playing it a little too conservatively most of the time. I hope that in the future they will break out and add some fire and idiosyncracy to their recorded songs.

Three stars; a solid if straightforward collection of atmospheric metal.

Latest members reviews

3 stars This predominantly Swedish set of experienced musicians here deliver suggestive prog metal mainly oozing of Tool while including a sleeve of Opeth amongst the influences. The ingredients are a pounding bass and equally chugging guitars, setting up for a strong and powerful album. The three first ... (read more)

Report this review (#1710888) | Posted by Chalcobalt | Saturday, April 15, 2017 | Review Permanlink

3 stars Review #47. For those who aren't familiar with the name of Soen, I should tell you that is a band with experienced and very gifted musicians, that all of them participated in other famous bands before gathering up and form Soen. So, here you can find ex-members from Opeth, Amon Amarth, Iced E ... (read more)

Report this review (#1696391) | Posted by The Jester | Friday, February 24, 2017 | Review Permanlink

5 stars Soen did it again! I couldn't have hoped for a more epic release. Since their second output "Tellurian" struck me (btw it still hasn't worn out!!), they have been one of my top 5 favourite bands. I revisited "Cognitive" and it was amazing, so I had high expectations for this one. Long story shor ... (read more)

Report this review (#1688263) | Posted by Mind_Drive | Friday, February 3, 2017 | Review Permanlink

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