Recap: I really liked the latest Soen album and didn’t really like their last video. The album is a really mature step in their career, building upon foundations set forth in their debut and making them better, but the video struck me as simplistic and worn out. However, Soen are apparently bent on improving all the time, as their recent video is a million ranks above their previous one. Head on over the jump to check out the video for ‘The Words’ and read my thoughts.
It’s really refreshing to see a band attempt some form of symbolism in their video art instead of just rehashing worn out imagery and messages. Regardless of whether we can simply chalk it up to their director, Kirke Ailio Rodwell, or if they were more involved in the creative process, this video is really quite good. It invokes not only the cliche death symbolism too often found in metal, the crow for example, but also the frustration and pain arising from being unable to speak. The blank messages in the bottles, the caring husband letting loose his pain deep within his tool shed/workshop and finally, the dying wife that is unable to let go, trapped in her failing body. The aesthetic might not be fresh but the combination of this imagery with the most moving track on the album really echoes together to create something powerful and, most importantly, something with a clear and personal message. Kudos to them.
-EK