SOEN

GHOST IRIS/WHEEL

ISLINGTON ACADEMY, LONDON

Clearly receiving signals from Tool’s Lateralus album, Helskini prog metallers WheeL lace their pulsing, bottom-endheavy grooves with exploratory melodies to engaging effect. Amidst choreographed headbanging, the untamed roar of Danes GhosT iRis occupies every available crack and crevice with powerful intent. Although enjoyably brutal, the quartet’s unrelenting brand of metalcore takes too broad a detour from the overarching theme of the night, but it does violently underline the soft edges of brilliance beset across soen’s performance. Warm, dream-inducing melodies cascade into crescendos of grandeur, as the Swiss prog rockers mesmerise with highlights from latest album Lotus. A sharply dressed Joel Ekelöf commands with cool, effortless authority, enticing his audience to join in the rousing chorus of Lascivious before entrancing with the hypnotic serenity of Martyr’s hushed mid-section, which is met with an awestruck hush. With such boundless variety in colour and melody, Soen’s lushly textured sense of adventure reaches epic heights by smoothly seductive degree, and indeed, it’s impossible to disagree with Joel’s statement that this is the best the band that has ever been.