Humanity struggles with change, and metalheads are at the forefront. Your favorite band puts out a new album, and it is a stark difference from previous output, and suddenly you are decrying their integrity. It happens in all genres, but it seems to result in more an outcry in the metal world than with other genres. I have been as guilty of this as anyone, and I do my best to look at each release objectively and set the right context for it. So, why do I bring this up? It has been interesting seeing the extremely varied responses from friends and various review sites with regards to “Reliance,” the latest from Sweden’s Soen, many of which follow the behavior above.

Like most people, I classify them as progressive metal, though their past was more firmly rooted there than the present. I was a bit of a latecomer to the Soen party, with 2021’s “Imperial” being my first christening. I fell in love with the gritty rock anthems, delivering in your face emotion and treating you to lush melodies in the softer spots and powerful aggression in the louder spots while weaving in progressive influences here and there. 2024’s “Memorial” was more of the same, though, for me, it didn’t hit quite as hard while also being more tame in the prog influences, but there were still many songs to love. It was only after seeing them live in support of “Memorial” that I finally went back and explored some of their back catalog, only to realize that they have had quite the musical evolution since their inception. I do enjoy their older material, but “Imperial” is what I have always connected with the most, not surprising considering it was my starting point. Admittedly, when the singles started dropping for “Reliance,” my own worry crept in. I didn’t have any issues with them, but they just didn’t grab me, and I was concerned we were going to get “Memorial Part 2.” I am very much an album-focused listener, and I am a strong believer that when a band writes an album, listening in the order intended is a much better indicator than any given single.

For my ears, I am glad I didn’t discard. As an album, from start to finish, I think “Reliance” is fantastic. Is it forging new ground? Not really, but since when is that necessarily a problem? Soen has a current formula, and they execute on it very well. I feel “Reliance” is significantly stronger than “Memorial” and takes a lot of what people loved about “Imperial” with some minor evolution, drawing some from their “Lotus” days. Martin’s drumming is fabulous as always, and you do get some glimpses of what he is truly capable of, though I would love to see him let loose a bit more! Lars is fabulous as always in his multi-instrumental hijinks, and the return of Stefan to the 5-string holds up the low end nicely. Perhaps the most noticeable differences are with Cody and Joel. Cody definitely unleashes more, which was immediately obvious to me on my first listen through. The last couple of albums have been trademarks for his laid back, silky smooth guitar solos, but there is added technicality and complexity in both his solos and guitar riffs that are quite welcome and add more character to the Soen formula. Joel continues improving as a vocalist (I have particularly seen this across the 3 live shows I have experienced the past couple of years), with more confidence and spunk, and multiple times you get near growls from him (boy would I love to see that get incorporated more in the future). “Reliance” does give occasional prog nods, though certainly not as deep as their pre-“Imperial” material, but they do add more texture that I felt was missing from “Memorial”.

“Primal” comes out firing on all cylinders with a head banging chunky riff and pounding drums, drops the dynamics back with a subdued vocal to set the mood, then sets Joel loose in aggressive fashion. Soen knows how to pen an anthemic singalong chorus, and this one is no exception. I love hearing the “growl” at the end of the first chorus and would love to see this be a more common part of the song compositions. Soen also does a great job with dynamics, in love with the softer atmospheric late “bridge” that is a key part of their modern formula, and it works very well here, including the dreamy guitar lead. Yes, this is comfortably familiar, but boy is it a banger!

“Mercenary” kicks off with a nice harmonized guitar solo, waylaying into a steady slowburn thrash groove with a slight polyrhythmic feel. The chorus is emotive with Joel’s token raspy delivery, then reprises the harmonized solo before kicking back into a heavy groove. You get the first example of Cody letting loose more than usual with an almost blues tinged solo that is fantastic. The late bridge you are expecting arrives, but with an ethereal quality and light flourishes. The almost choir like backing vocals in the ending salvo complement Joel well, before closing in subdued fashion.

“Discordia” slows the pace down, trading off an atmospheric verse with a big powerful chorus. After the second verse, you are treated to a brief but welcome crushing djenty groove that transitions into a swirling synthy solo over bass and drums. After an atmospheric reprise, the anthemic chorus yields to djent one final time. This song is an example of Soen stretching their current formula in ways that bring back some of their older elements while still maintaining the accessibility factor the newer material has.

“Axis” makes me instantly think of “Sincere” from “Memorial,” and it is hard not to see the similarities in the melodies. What is different are the subtle underlying proggy rhythms and that incredible solo from Cody, a trend I am really enjoying on this album. You even get an additional short solo as the song is closing. Overall, the song has more energy and just feels bigger. This song would be absolutely killer live.

“Huntress” has quickly become a favorite of mine. It starts familiar enough with the big fat groove that Soen is known for, soon shifting to a more subdued first verse. The chorus is absolutely phenomenal, giving me chills at times, featuring incredible displays both from Joel’s emotive cries and Cody’s underlying guitar lead that adds incredible texture. Joel’s vocals are incredible in this song, full of heartfelt emotion as he deftly navigates various dynamics to truly connect with the listener. Cody’s late solo serves as a perfect transition to the emotional ending.

After an emphatic “Go!” from Joel, “Unbound” settles into the groove Soen is known for, but with several different guitar lead flourishes that add depth to the driving cadence and give it a different feel. The middle section softens and features a somber piano melody before letting Cody let loose on another nice solo. The ending features a nice reprisal of the middle piano melody sandwiched between the earlier crushing riffs.

“Indifferent” reminds me a bit of “Lotus,” the live crowd favorite slow song, though it is a bit more subdued in its piano-driven melody and billowing orchestration and abstains from the common “build to bigger” mechanism. Joel’s vocals are fabulous here, punctuating the chorus in heart wrenching fashion, with melodies resonating deeply and delivering an emotional punch. This is such a nice change of pace and shows some maturity from the band that I love.

“Drifter” brings in an almost lightweight synthy industrial texture, definitely a different feel for them. This gives the band the opportunity to experiment with the dynamics in different ways, adding a spacey aura at times that works surprisingly well. Midway you get a proggy guitar progression that changes things up and will get your head banging for sure. I would definitely love to see more of this! The spacey bridge immediately following provides a nice effect, making way for the anthemic chorus that explores fabulous vocal and guitar fibers amidst the ethereal atmosphere.

“Draconian” is a powerful song, with a cry for acceptance permeating the lyrics. The chorus melody bears a striking resemblance to “Unbreakable,” including the tambor and urgency of Joel’s voice. The guitar and drum rhythms here are crushing, with some nice fills to keep things interesting. The middle piano-driven section features fabulous vocal layering that makes it feel big and powerful, with a delicate guitar lead underneath, building to the final refrain that incorporates these same vocal layering mechanics in incredible fashion.

That terrific ending sets up closing song “Vellichor,” which is perhaps surprisingly laid back and more somber than expected. Pay close attention to the instruments, as there is a lot going on in the underlying melodies and rhythms, and I would love to see more of these elements brought into the heavier tracks. The guitar leadwork is phenomenal in this song, not over the top as much as it is super expressive and a driving force for several sections. Ironically, this is easily the least singable of all the songs on the album from the anthemic standpoint, but the song composition is fantastic and different from anything in this era of Soen. Would I have preferred more energy to close out the album? Absolutely. But energy is not something this album lacks, and though different, this song is a cool way to close things out with its massive feel.

Ultimately, what you get here is a solid anthemic metal album with some occasional prog flourishes and a ton of emotional depth that is certainly familiar but flexes just a bit. Will this make everyone happy? Clearly not. However, if “Imperial” had been their first album (which was quite favorably received across the board), I do wonder how different the reception would be here? Would fans see it as solid song writing in a minor evolution of the Soen sound? Guess we will never know. For my listening pleasure, I quite enjoy this album, and I cannot wait to experience these new songs live later this year!