Soen - Reliance

Nice to see they aren't slowing down. But... Memorial was a major step down from Imperial, so I'm not sure how to feel about this. The first single will probably be a good indicator.

Also they made a song about @Vellichor.

They probably like Scotch whisky with that name.

The first single (Primal) is a not really intriguing more-of-the-same song. Hope the album will show some new formula and idea.

Cognitive, Tellurian was brilliant.
Lykaia - probably the peak, absolute beauty.
Lotus - also very very very good.
Imperial i didn't like that much at first, but it grew on me, it's good.
Atlantis - great reimagining, the tour was A BEST as well.

But the last one didn't really made any sense to me. It was very unoriginal.

But this last single... It's absolute crap. Same ideas badly recycled and with absolutely no art it. It's not a song, just a very weak and primitive political pamphlet with some sounds.

If you don't have any new material, just play your old songs, they are AWESOME and not played enough.

Written by 24emd on 17.09.2025 at 08:05

Nice to see they aren't slowing down. But... Memorial was a major step down from Imperial, so I'm not sure how to feel about this. The first single will probably be a good indicator.

Also they made a song about @Vellichor.

Hey it’s nice to finally see myself getting a shout out from a big artist, overdue I’d say

I agree with what you said about Memorial being a step down from Imperial, and I think Imperial was a step down from Lotus, so I hope somehow they bring back some of the greatness of Lotus and what came before.

I guess I'm the only one but Memorial is my favourite Soen record. So naturally I enjoyed this one as well, although not as much.

Awesome guitar solos all over, definitely the saving grace of another okay Soen album.

A decent album, a step below Memorial, which was a step below Imperial and Lotus (my favorite Soen albums).
Too repetitive formula, and this time there isn't any song that stands really out .

Incredibly disappointed with the direction they’ve gone. Hard to believe this band released Lykaia and Tellurian. And WTF has happened to Joel’s voice in such a short time? As a big fan of this band this was just not good.

I wouldn't say that it is not good. It is good for what it is (Sweden's Three Days Grace), but man is it ever dull.

What a waste of a drummer (the irony of the band founding member)

Also, how many variants of choruses can Joel come up with?
Every song the past few albums has a sameish quality that blurs the experience.

Written by MetalManic on 16.01.2026 at 18:13

(Sweden's Three Days Grace)

As generic as this album is, I wouldn't compare it to a doodoo band like that.

For me the album's saving grace are the very few solos it has, other than that I just find the songwriting very bland, uninspiring, and repetitive. I thought I was alone in not being part of their intended audience here but it seems I'm not alone.

The songs are flat, with no real differences between them. The drums are always the same, the guitars lack drive, and the vocals have a certain je ne sais quoi that doesn't help the overall formula.

Imperial is possibly rhe album ive most enjoyed by the band, so I dont think theres any nostalgia for their earlier years underlying me thinking that this is not a particularly good or likeable album. Having found the band's vocals to be their strongest suit on past outings, something felt a bit off woth them at times, and the songs themselves offer little to entice.

Strange that I became a fan of the band because of the vocals... and a few albums later, now it's the vocals that are pushing me away.

Don't hate it; Some solid songs that can be enjoyed on their own, but as a full album it gets boring quickly

Good moments here and there but damn that 100% autotune on all chorus vocals makes it sound like AI at times.

Not even gonna try to touch it. Everything after Lotus has been unlistenable to me anyway, but the stability of the downward trajectory over the past three albums has been just depressing. At the same time, I do hope that the guys will be picked up by a wider audience, they totally deserve to have success, as hard as it is to be successful in the music industry these days.

Written by 24emd on 17.01.2026 at 02:10

Written by MetalManic on 16.01.2026 at 18:13

(Sweden's Three Days Grace)

As generic as this album is, I wouldn't compare it to a doodoo band like that.

I dunno. At least Three Days Grace have a couple of good songs going for them.

I enjoyed this one quite a bit, more than the previous one.

This is underwhelming. Very bipolar music. Guy sings at times soft and at times angry and the music on each song is at times heavy and at times cold.
It's like a girl- or boyfriend who keeps telling you to dress and to undress, to dress, to undress...
I like seconds of it on each freaking song, the whole not so.

They used to be my favourite soft prog band alongside Leprous, but they both fell off a cliff after Lykaia.
Too soft, too boring, too simplistic

I actually loved this album because of the vocals and choruses. Musically it feels like Soen has been making the same album over and over again, at increasing frequency.