Soen have rolled out “Mercenary,” the second style of their upcoming seventh studio album, Reliance, arriving January 16, 2026, through Silver Lining Music. Produced, recorded, and blended by Alexander Backlund at Fascination Road Studios and mastered by Tony Lindgren, the only extends the band’s regular evolution reasonably than blowing up their foundations.
Fronted by Joel Ekelöf and pushed by Martin Lopez, Sweden’s progressive heavyweights hold threading that acquainted needle: tensile riffs and wide-screen melody, catharsis and restraint. Reliance appears to be like set to press tougher into these contrasts, discovering objective within the friction between serenity and severity, and “Mercenary” is the clearest early sign.
“‘Mercenary’ is concerning the violence we inherit, which then sees hatred seeping into lives — and life — which in flip shapes generations,” feedback Joel Ekelöf.
“It additionally addresses betrayal, about how that may see us ‘crowning vultures into kings,’” furthers Martin Lopez.
“At its coronary heart, ‘Mercenary’ speaks to the price of perception,” Ekelöf provides earlier than Lopez affirms that “musically, it carries the essence of Soen — heavy but melodic and constructed on energy and precision.”
“For us, it’s about extra than simply aggression,” continues Joel Ekelöf. “It’s about encouraging folks to search out that fireplace once more, to reconnect with ardour, and to take these steps out of the darkness collectively.”
Pre-order Reliance right here
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