Soen - Tellurian

Moody prog-metal supergroup's second disc sees them move away from Tool-worship with this set of intricate yet intimate songs. 

Of all the big-name progressive acts that are frequently name-dropped as influences, Tool is one I don't see being mentioned much as one might think. Swedish prog supergroup Soen are clearly big fans of Maynard and the gang, as their debut album Cognitive drew equal amounts of kudos and condemnation for their very Tool-like sound. With their sophomore release Tellurian, do they step out of Tool's shadow? Yes, and what emerges is infinitely more interesting than mere hero-worship.

The most immediately affecting aspect of Tellurian is, unfortunately, how it sounds. The production here takes "bottom heavy" to a whole new level, with an ever-present layer of murky bass that constantly fights with the other instruments to maintain dominance. The drums also sound less than stellar -- the bass drums sound more like far-off machine gun fire than musical instruments during intense passages without other sounds to cloak them. While the guitars and vocals are fine, this production job is the single biggest thing that takes away from my enjoyment of this album.

Questionable mixing aside, if the songs themselves are good, then they should be able to shine through, correct? Yes, and in Tellurian's case, they certainly do. Tracks like "Ennui", "Pluton", and especially "The Words" are incredible pieces of music, and Soen do the "dark/heavy music with emotive lyrics" thing much better than Tool ever did after Aenima, striking just the right balance between proggy noodling (of which there is precious little here, thankfully), Opeth-like heavy passages and catchy, memorable choruses, and unlike most other prog outfits today, Tellurian clocks in at a pretty lean fifty-two minutes -- you won't find any filler here, which helps the songs maintain a more consistent quality. "The Other's Fall" is probably the worst of the lot, but Soen really stepped up their writing game and crafted each song with memorable hooks and choruses to keep you interested.

So yeah, Tellurian is more than just a step in the right direction -- it's a leap forward in evolution for these guys. (Plus, just look at that artwork. With sleeve art like that, it's gotta be good, right?)