Soen w/ Trope

Dec 13th, 2023
Neumos, Seattle, WA

I first came across Soen through their album Lykaia. The album possessed multiple elements that I loved: powerful basslines and tribal yet powerful rhythmic compositions. The drums sounded somewhat familiar, and I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered that the drummer was none other than Martin Lopez, whom I knew from his previous work with Opeth.

The opportunity to see Soen live finally arose in December 2022, while Soundglare was still in its early days. I took my camera with me to the show and nervously asked the security at the door if I could bring it inside (something I knew had the slimmest of chances of happening). The security guard thought for a few seconds and checked with a few of her peers. She requested that I not use the flash and let me through. With that little action, I was covering my first touring act as a photographer. If you scroll down my Instagram profile, you will still find those photos. The show was dynamic, powerful, and emotional—a total blast to photograph. On June 6th, just a few days before a long personal trip, I got to cover Soen once again, this time in an official capacity and as an established photographer.

Soen is one of my favorite bands to photograph. Their performance is technical yet tasteful, and they are masters at bringing their fans on a journey spanning multiple emotions, from strong, powerful head-banging songs to slow, emotional ballads. There is never a dull moment when Soen is on stage. Through their music, they have built a very special connection with their fans and I’m glad to be one of them.

If you haven’t seen Soen live, you are missing out!