Review: SOM ‘Let The Light In’
Comprising of current and former members of Junius, Caspian, and Constants, North American post-rock/metal act SOM have spent their eight years of existence attempting to blend a variety of sounds that incorporate heavy riffing, shimmering shoegaze and a hook-laden, pop sensibility to create a hazy soundscape that is full of rich texture and atmosphere.
Debuting with their Radar Studios released album The Fall in 2018 which dealt with hitting rock bottom, the band began crafting a sound that has morphed into a powerful and yet hypnotic template that they perfected on their sophomore album, The Shape Of Everything (Pelagic 2022), an album that sought to explore the darkness of the world around them. The band, founded by drummer Duncan Rich, bassist Justin Forrest and singer/guitarist Will Benoit, have won plaudits for their dreamy heaviness and light, soaring post-rock that seems somehow warm and embracing.
Following the thought-provoking EP of Depeche Mode covers Faith in 2023, the band would undergo a seismic shock when Rich departed from their ranks during the writing and recording process for their fledgling third album. Embracing the adversity rather than running from it, the band would shuffle their lineup with Forrest moving behind the drumkit and Benoit switching from guitar to bass, slimming down their six-string duties from three to the pairing of Joel Reynolds and Mike Repasch-Nieve.
With the new configuration, SOM consolidated their sound and songwriting, re-recording the majority of the album using their newfound focus to redefine their sound as a four-piece, whilst retaining their trademark sonics. Undaunted and pushing further in their quest to explore liminal space, they have continued creating ambitious and layered music that seeks to emotionally challenge the listener, resulting in the eight-track Let The Light In.
The album begins with the heavy smash and sumptuous guitar tone of Don’t Look Back with vertigo-induced string bends and pounding drums, Benoit’s fleeting, falsetto vocals lilt over the deep chug of the guitars. Cutting through the ringing groove are swirling synth effects that add a surreal and lofty feel that disguises just how heavy the music that SOIM create is. Throughout the drifting feel there is an emotive, searching quality to the lyrics that seem to dance as light as a cloud, lending credence to the ‘death pop’ tag they were bestowed by Metal Injection on The Shape Of Everything.
The title track evokes a more upbeat Jesu as the indie/shoegaze dalliances collide with the harder edges of the riffing. The heavy crunch combines in a surprisingly delicate way with rich melodies that not even the fuzzed-out post-metal breakdowns can spoil. The warmth and layered textures remind me of the enveloping dark gothic pop that Pist.On used so well on their first two albums.
Lead single Chemicals starts with a slower build before the heft of the main refrain kicks in using a similar dynamic to the likes of Russian Circles or My Bloody Valentine. The brooding atmosphere, brimming with tension builds up to the moment they let go in a glorious moment of catharsis into the rising harmonies that is a moment of pure euphoria, topped off by a dazzlingly, effect-driven solo.
It feels like a cliché to say a release is their heaviest and most melodic, yet that is exactly what Let The Light In contains…
The Place That I Belong threatens a more upbeat pace but slides into a languid, liquid glide. The ethereal wash of the melodies caresses you in a comforting manner; My fellow scribe Richard Murray equated this sound on The Shape Of Everything to hitting you ‘like warm rain’ and frankly I am hard pushed to come up with a better analogy as the soothing tones cascade down.
The heavy stamp and hammering drums of Give Blood sees a subtle shift to a darker mood that stops the album from becoming too light and airy. As the grinding smash morphs with the lush, floating pop-like tones, SOM ventures into classic deftones territory. Easily the most rocking track on the album, the abrasive edge is tempered with a comforting embrace.
Nightmares continues the moodier feel, the downbeat notion transforms into melancholia as you’re kept afloat by the swooping and diving acrobatics of the guitar. Amid the swaying bends that twang with a metallic, almost hardcore metal vibe, the clashing sounds of the swirling synth and waif-like vocals retain the light touch that SOM have perfected over the course of their career.
Bringing the tempo and tension down with Under Streetlights feels like the calm after a storm. The vocals are barely audible under the music, but the entire perception transforms into one of glorious majesty as they start to draw this journey to a close concluding with the sense of closure that The Light brings.
Channelling that earlier euphoria of previous high points, SOM brings the album to a hopeful, searching conclusion that leaves you yearning and trying to make sense of your place in the universe and find the light within the darkness.
It is a testament to the band that losing a key member and undergoing such a lineup change hasn’t dented SOM’s progress at all. This latest entry builds on the foundation of their previous album and yet manages to push each element further. It feels like a cliché to say a release is their heaviest and most melodic, yet that is exactly what Let The Light In contains. Fans of their previous work will find this is a natural continuation of everything they have tried to achieve and hopefully, newcomers can drink in their powerful and enriching qualities.
Label: Pelagic Records
Band Links: Official | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Mark Hunt-Bryden
