Soen @ Midsummer Prog Festival 2025 – day 2 (May 24)

Soen @ Midsummer Progfestival 2025 – A Finale of Power and Charisma

Swedish band Soen had the honor of closing the Midsummer Prog Festival on Saturday night and they proved that you don’t need to stick to pure prog to leave a lasting impact. Their music strikes a balance between powerful, melodic metal and emotive progressive rock—not filled with endless solos but with songs that have structure, dept  and emotional weight.

The band consists of Joel Ekelöf (vocals), Cody Ford (guitar), Oleksii Kobel (bass), Lars Åhlund (keys, guitar) and Martin López (drums). On stage, this five-piece delivers an incredibly tight and engaging performance. Ekelöf, in particular, is a captivating frontman—with a powerful crystal-clear voice and effortless charisma, he had the audience in the palm of his hand. He playfully interacted with the crowd, sparking cheering duels between the left and right sides of the venue and breaking the fourth wall with charm and ease.

The setlist offered a well-balanced cross-section of their discography, featuring the fiery “Unbreakable”, the atmospheric “Illusion”, the explosive “Antagonist” and a thunderous encore with “Violence.” Standout moments were plenty: “Monarch” and especially “Lotus” left a lasting impression, thanks to Cody Ford’s soaring guitar work and Lars Åhlund’s subtle emotional piano touches.

What sets Soen apart is their mastery of dynamics—their songs build gradually, explode into rich climaxes and then retract into moments of quiet reflection. This combination of raw power and melodic finesse made for a finale that truly lingered in the mind and soul.

Scroll down to view my photo report of this unforgettable show.