SOEN Lotus CD (2019)

Swedish progressive metal band Soen have spent their career being compared to Tool so relentlessly that most reviews forget to mention how good they actually are on their own terms. Lotus, their fourth album, is where they stopped caring about that conversation entirely and just made the record they wanted to make.

Darker and more atmospheric than their earlier work, Lotus pulls from progressive metal, post-rock, and something approaching gothic doom without ever losing the melodic core that makes their songs stick. Martin Lopez, formerly of Opeth, is a significant part of why this band hits differently, and Lotus is arguably the album where all the pieces locked in. Essential for anyone whose dark aesthetic extends to music that actually challenges them.

Full length album CD, released February 2019. Country of origin: Sweden. Fans of: Leprous, Devin Townsend Project, Opeth, Katatonia, Tool.