Description

4 panel Digipak.In Ancient Greece the Lykaia Greek Lambdaupsilonkappaalphaalpha was an archaic festival with a secret ritual on the slopes of the tallest peak in rustic Arcadia Mount Lykaion, Wolf Mountain. The rituals and myths of this primitive rite of passage centered upon an ancient threat of cannibalism and the possibility of a werewolf transformation for the participating epheboi adolescent males.I should care to let you flyA chance to retrieve what was left behindTo experience lifeSoen JinnSince the dawn of civilization, mankind’s instinct has been to go on long explorative journeys. Often such journeys are treacherous, fraught with deviations, twists and turns that take people in directions they could never have imagined. Tribes fight, people seek the support of Gods where they once didn’t care and humanity writhes around in varying states of ecstasy and agony as it continues its journey through nature, at the same time pitting itself against the very elements it can never properly control.For those who have followed Soen’s career from the beginning, the concepts of journey and exploration are not New. 2012’s Cognitive beat a firmly heavy, progressive metal path. 2014’s Tellurian with its Pink Floyd explorative spirit and Opethlike forceful power, saw Soen start to stride freely into their own power and unique visions. Their third offering, Lykaia, is a journey into earthier places.In Lykaia Soen remains 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, beliefbased behaviour in society.Recorded at Ghost Ward, StudioGroumlndal 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, embracing warmth and organic recordings as the drive behind the technical working process.If the first two albums were harder, more technical, angular and perhaps cerebral pieces which demanded sharp focus, Lykaia presents a warmer, rounder, flesh and blood on the bones approach that allows listeners a dual entry to the eight tracks presented. The journey is no less dynamic, continuing the underscore of complex melodies with crushing power and no fear of walking proudly into more ambient spaces to explore the temperature. Soen is available for home delivery from Vinyl Records London, only £10 +P&P