A perfectly layered, emotionally driven punch to the soul

This is my first time listening to Soen. Right off the bat, it’s tight—and the production quality is perfect. Everything lays into its sonic layer just right. Nothing muddies anything else. The mix is clean, powerful, and clear.

The playing is heavy and intense. When they bust out the triplets, they go hard, fast, and tight—like a machine gun. The vocals are clean and expressive, and I actually dig the singer’s Swedish accent. You don’t normally hear accents when people sing, but his voice is distinct, and his phrasing gives everything a unique feel. Also? I like being able to understand what a band’s conveying lyrically—Soen doesn’t hide behind noise.

There’s a lot of “space” in the sound considering the sheer amount of instruments and vocal layers. Even through the onslaught of triplets and intensity, it never feels cluttered. That’s not easy to pull off.

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🎵 Highlights

“Monarch”
About going into war—and yeah, the lyrics could’ve gone full brutal, but they didn’t. Instead, they paint war as ugly but tragic, not just violent. And somehow, the song itself is beautiful. The emotional contrast works.

“Illusion”
A slower, bluesier track with a lyrical gut-punch:

“The choices are our own, but the failure we’ll share.”

It’s raw, honest, and it hits harder because of the restraint in the music.

“Antagonist”
My favorite track. The timing changes are wild—reminds me of Tool in all the right ways. And the lyric:

“Fire up your guns”

That line just hit me—like, “Get up. Go. Move. Fight back.”
I’m adding it to Rage’s Power Playlist immediately.

“Fortune”
If you need inspiration to keep going in life, this is the one. It’s uplifting, anthemic, and motivating without being cheesy.

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💭 Final Thoughts

Soen isn’t just heavy—they’re poetic. American bands don’t always use English like this.
Lines like:

“I break my bread with the thieves

I share my wine with the villain you fear

To be cursed by the ones you revere”

That’s just beautiful writing, period.

Imperial is a masterpiece of precision, emotion, and melodic power.
It’s the perfect entry for Melodic Monday.

Curious how it compares to their other work? Stay tuned later this week…