by SOEN, the progressive heavy rock group featuring world-renowned drummer Martin Lopez (formerly of Amon Amarth and Opeth) and the dynamic voice of Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree), will release their upcoming third full-length opus Lykaia on February 3, 2017, via UDR Music. After several weeks of anticipation since the original announcement of its release, the band is revealing the first single from the album, entitled “Sectarian.” A charging, insightful metal anthem, “Sectarian” grooves amid classic progressive rock and turn-of-the-century alt-metal influences, all the while experimenting with further inspiration to create a solid track that is reminiscent of Opeth and damn good.
The new album sees SOEN remain fascinated with the shadows and the darker edges of our world, with a particular focus on the various thoughts and concepts behind religion and ritualistic, belief-based behaviour in society.
Following that theme, drummer Martin Lopez comments about “Sectarian” in particular:
At the time I wrote the song, there was a lot going on in the world with all this religious nonsense that we lately are getting used to, I was truly pissed off with the circumstances like everyone else and with that anger in commanding me started writing about it. It’s simply my view on the matter and this need that people have to follow a leader and a God that I see suffocating them and telling them how to live. I just don’t understand it; some of us have a religious background, a forced one, like it usually is, but I’ve never bought into it.
The way some people make this insane ideologies their call and how they can remove the human condition of feeling empathy towards others to please a figure, a ghost they’ve never seen or touched. It’s just something I cannot understand and just the fact that so many have died either defending or just being makes me lose all hope in humanity… Are we really this weak? How can this happen? The lyrics are just that, a pissed off guy telling his view on things.
I had a few heavy parts that I thought would fit this theme and just went on to write the song, Joel came up with a great melody and I added some rhythmical ideas to it. Later on we put the song together with the rest of the band and everyone had the chance to add their personality to the music while recording their instruments.
Lykaia pre-orders are now available in three formats — digitally, audio CD in digisleeve, and gatefold vinyl. Order now and receive “Sectarian” as an instant grat:
CD
Vinyl
Amazon MP3
iTunes MP3
“Sectarian” instant grat
Recorded at Ghost Ward, StudioGröndal and Deep Well in Stockholm, Sweden, with production duties handled by guitarist Marcus Jidell and the mix made by Stefan Boman, SOEN kept things as far away from the digital age as possible on Lykaia, embracing warmth and organic recordings as the drive behind the technical working process.
Rock Hard \m/
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