Written by The Melting Snow on 08.02.2021 at 06:41

Sorry, noob question. but can someone tell me how to pronounce Soen?

Saw Anne

This album is the exact copycat of their last three albums, it is ultimately at the end of the day a very good, soulful, melodic progressive rock album. Soen's consistency is very strong eventhough the sound might be a bit stale now. You almost wish they would do something different.

Pretty good but Lotus was much better.

Overall a very good album with memorable melodies but the drums are way too loud on this one

So I gave it a few more listens but just like with Lotus, the song structure isn't to my liking. First off any sign of progression in the music is long gone in my opinion. Almost all tracks start out with a nice riff but then the bridges and choruses go all the way into pop land. Shame. It seems that every single prog metal band I like, makes 3 great albums and then turns into a mediocre pop/rock band...

These songs are incredibly catchy, they have been stuck in my head for weeks now.

Maybe I have too mainstream taste but this album is even better than "Lotus" which was AOTY for me. Composition, sound production, lyrics, emotions - the whole pack is top-notch. What a band.

Waiting for the CD to arrive...will listen to it then

This is already my early favorite for best prog and alt metal album of 2021

Written by tintinb on 08.02.2021 at 21:17

This album is the exact copycat of their last three albums, it is ultimately at the end of the day a very good, soulful, melodic progressive rock album. Soen's consistency is very strong eventhough the sound might be a bit stale now. You almost wish they would do something different.

I wanted to write exactly the same review. Its all the same, like someone told earlier about AC/DC ruling 3 decades with the same rehashed riffs, Soen's songs are all same but still brilliant. For me till now it hadn't become stale and really hope they will come out with something different with their next outing. In comparison, Lyakia is still my favourite.

Never anticipated I'd give a 9 to a Soen album, but this album absolutely deserves it. I keep going back to this one - such a perfect blend of catchiness, heaviness, and prog.

An exceptional album, I hadn't paid attention to it but today I listened to it in its entirety via streaming and it really is brilliant.

I really loved two previous albums and I consider myself a fan ( A sad one because I can never see them live). But this one is way to familiar to Lotus. You can hear same chords and melodies in "Imperial" that were used in "Lotus". And one greater problem is some Cliché lyrics. In "Fortune" at the apex of the song, vocal screams: "And one day I know you'll understand/ That your happiness depends on you". I mean what the hell?! Too cheesy for me that I can laugh at it. But all in all I liked the album

Imperial is a difficult album to evaluate for me. On the one hand, it is the classic sound that Soen has been developing and, therefore, it is pleasant to hear and demonstrates a good level of musicality and composition. On the other hand, it is an album that brings few innovations and that does not present the level of originality that one would expect from musicians of this caliber. All songs play similar, so it becomes difficult to present a moment of real prominence throughout the album. That said, it would be unfair to say that this album is bad, or even mediocre. It is not! It is a little disappointment, as Lotus was one of my favorites of 2019. I know that Soen is capable of better, but this is still a good record.

Written by RaduP on 08.02.2021 at 07:13

Written by The Melting Snow on 08.02.2021 at 06:41

Sorry, noob question. but can someone tell me how to pronounce Soen?

Saw Anne

I pronounce it 'So when'

Written by MetalManic on 03.05.2021 at 03:04

Written by RaduP on 08.02.2021 at 07:13

Written by The Melting Snow on 08.02.2021 at 06:41

Sorry, noob question. but can someone tell me how to pronounce Soen?

Saw Anne

I pronounce it 'So when'

Or 'So inn'

A lot weaker than Lotus, that was a masterclass, but still very good.

I don't know what it is but I'm so out of the loop with the hype and acclaim here. People are praising the evocative vocals and awesome songwriting, and for the life of me I can't get into it. Even calling it metal is a stretch (which isn't inherently a problem for anyone who knows my taste in music). I hear some radio friendly rock melodies backing an obviously talented, albeit subdued, vocalist (you just know he has a higher range and is holding back during some moments where he can truly belt) but not much else going on. The songs tend to meander and spend most of their time building up without much payoff. To me this is generic pop prog and will go down as one of the rare times I can't even understand the opposing perspective held by those who consider this to be something special, let alone great.

After many spins.....this is my least favorite album from the last three....like the lyrics...7 from me.....

First, sorry by ma bad english i'm from Brazil.

This album is a masterpiece.
All songs are connected. All song belongs to a storyline.
I listem a lot of albuns from 2021, for me this is the best.

So this band have gone from an average tool clone to just an average prog band? I applaud their consistency.

Written by mz on 10.12.2021 at 21:09

So this band have gone from an average tool clone to just an average prog band? I applaud their consistency.

I'm so on that same page. I hated Lotus and I hated this as well.

I agree with what has been said about their songwriting and sounding repetitive. For example, listen to the first line of both Lotus and Illusion, it is so similar that I tend to think it was done intentional.

They should also tone down on recycling riffs. The opening riffs of Sectarian, Sister, Martyrs and Deceiver sound all very similar and surely there are more examples. Still, all songs develop to be unique from each other. Martyrs and Deceivers are even personal favorites of mine.

Other than sometimes sounding repetitive, Soen developed their own sound and LeKiwi’s mention of this band hitting a soft prog spot also applies to me. I immensely enjoy the last two albums and I think I might like this one even a little more than Lotus.

Love this album, strongly dislike Tool.

Edit: here's yet another unpopular opinion, this album is more melancholic than 99% of atmoblack and funeral doom.