When people have asked me about SOEN, I have always said something like, "the cool parts about TOOL and OPETH". While it seems somewhat asinine to make comparisons between Progressive metal bands - the very nature of their genre implores uniqueness - incidentally, the drummer of the band, Martin Lopez, is in fact one ex-OPETH drummer and is outspoken about his and the band's appreciation for TOOL. SOEN are about to drop their 3^rd album, "Lykaia", as a follow-up to 2014's "Tellurian".

We begin with the deliciously-groovy "Sectarian" which is, pretty much, what you might expect from a SOEN track, but what a delicious opener it is. The track is heavily propelled by a rich and prominent bass groove delivered by Stefan Stenberg, whose performance is a definite highlight of the entire album. This is a motif carried through on the similarly punchy "Orison", with many a low-end noodle, in particularly polished by Joel's velvety vocals in the verses, and soaring notes in the chorus; or even "Opal", which might well be my favourite track on the album, borrowing some of the more esoteric influences from the Alternative end of the rock spectrum, and sporting one of the more powerful choruses on the album.

A couple of the cruisier pieces can be found in "Lucidity" and "Jinn". The former might be thought of as the album's 'ballad' (do Prog albums even have ballads?) to new listeners; it is very much so, the most easily-listening piece on the album. The adjective that screams out at me to describe this song, is simply 'soothing'. It makes you forget your immediate surroundings, it makes you forget life, and it takes you away from it all. "Jinn" gives off a similar vibe at first, but suddenly progresses into a new form with cascading guitar and keyboard riffs; a little heavier on the metal, but still easier on the ears, akin to the comfort of a loud rainstorm washing down the Earth outside your window.

The last 3 tracks of the album are relatively run-of-the-mill as far as SOEN material goes; "Sister" offers us some lovely verses accented by tribal-sounding drumming and atmospheric vocals, but I found it hard to keep as fully invested in the song, as I was others. "Stray" is perhaps the heaviest song on the album, and crams a diverse array of musical motifs, from rumbly SABBATH-like runs to Middle Eastern melodies and trance-like vocals, before reverting to meaty riffs. Unfortunately, I am finding it hard to keep as enthused about the closing track, "Paragon", as I was about the rest of the album, for the "more of the same" is becoming a little too much... "more of the same". There is nothing groundbreaking on this track, and while it features a change of pace in cruisy and bluesy sections with a fantastic guitar solo, I can't help but feel as if the track was an arbitrary addon. Maybe I'm just not "getting" it.

Keep in mind, it's hard to call a SOEN track "bad"; I am simply referencing the album as a benchmark. All in all, it's a very strong album from a band that has proven many times over, with not only 3 albums as a "supergroup" but past work with their own bands standing testament to their songwriting and musical chops. It does come across as front-heavy in terms of what will blow your mind, with the less convincing music creeping up the deeper you delve.