Soen, Tribulation

On 17 November 2026 a strong double bill lands at TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht: Soen and Tribulation share the stage for an evening of metal with progressive and darker hues.

Soen, from Stockholm and centred since 2010 around drummer Martin Lopez and vocalist Joel Ekelöf, has been developing a melodic, sombre variant of progressive metal in which clear vocals, layered guitars and keyboards carry the tension. From Cognitive (2012) with its polymetric rhythms, via Tellurian (2014) and the more organic Lykaia (2017), the band has moved toward more open song forms. Lotus (2019) and Imperial (2021) explore the intersection between heavy riffs and airier arrangements; Memorial (2023) keeps the form more compact without relinquishing the atmosphere. On Atlantis (2022) Soen reworked their own material in a more intimate setting. Live, the focus is on dynamics and nuance—songs that grow rather than displays of technical virtuosity.

Tribulation, formed in Arvika in 2001, shifted from Bay Area–tinged thrash to a darker death metal, documented on their debut The Horror (2009). With The Formulas of Death (2013) they opened more space for atmosphere and melody; thereafter the band blended death and heavy elements with gothic shades on The Children of the Night (2015), Down Below (2018) and Where the Gloom Becomes Sound (2021). Sub Rosa in Æternum (2024) continues that cross-pollination. On stage Tribulation pairs tight riffs and melodies with a nocturnal, theatrical flair.