Swedish progressive Heavy Metal force Soen have unleashed Mercenary, the crushing second single from their upcoming seventh studio album, Reliance, which lands on 16 January 2026 via Silver Lining Music.
Fronted by vocalist Joel Ekelof and drummer Martin Lopez, Soen continue to carve out their own space between light and shade, power and calm. Reliance leans hard into emotional honesty, balancing raw weight and melodic elegance in a way that has become a hallmark of the band.
Mercenary digs into the violence and hatred that can be passed down through generations, and the personal price that comes with holding on to your convictions. Ekelof explains that the song looks at how inherited brutality slowly poisons lives, while Lopez points to the way we can end up placing crowns on the wrong heads when betrayal and fear are allowed to rule.
Musically, Mercenary is classic Soen: precise, punchy and unapologetically Heavy yet rich with melody.
The single arrives with a powerful lyric video created by Freakshot Film, amplifying the track’s sense of tension and release. You can watch Mercenary below and feel the song’s lyrical themes collide with the band’s towering sound.
Soen – Primal
Mercenary follows Primal, the first single from Reliance, a barrel-chested roar that pits the human spirit against a hostile modern world. Together, the two tracks show just how wide Soen are throwing the net on Reliance, shifting effortlessly from simmering introspection to widescreen Heavy Metal drama.
“Primal is a song that came from a place of frustration with the world we’re living in,” Martin Lopez said. “The corruption, the division and the suffocating grip that technology has on all of us. It’s heavy and straight to the point, built on riffs and raw energy, but it also opens up into a chorus that feels hopeful, like a reminder that light can still break through the dark.”
“For us, it’s about more than just aggression,” Ekelöf said. “It’s about encouraging people to find that fire again, to reconnect with passion, and to take those steps out of the darkness together.”
Soen are already looking ahead to a packed 2026, with festival appearances and headline shows confirmed across Europe and at sea. The band will appear on 70000 Tons Of Metal and hit stages at Metalfest Open Air, Ilosaari-style summer events, Alcatraz, Motocultor, Summer Breeze and Posada Rock, with more dates to be announced.
Fans can expect the band’s trademark mix of power, precision and emotion as Reliance material makes its way into the set. With UK dates yet to be announced, you can find out where they are currently scheduled to play at soenmusic.com/tour
Alongside Ekelof and Lopez, the Reliance line-up features Lars Enok Ahlund on keyboards and guitar, Cody Lee Ford on lead guitar and Stefan Stenberg on bass. The album was produced, recorded and mixed by Alexander Backlund at Fascination Street Studios and mastered by Tony Lindgren, giving the songs the clarity and punch they demand.
Reliance will be released via Silver Lining Music on CD, multiple 12″ vinyl variants, digital formats and special D2C bundles and can be pre-ordered from lnk.to/SoenReliance.
Reliance Tracklisting
1. Primal
2. Mercenary
3. Discordia
4. Axis
5. Huntress
6. Unbound
7. Indifferent
8. Drifter
9. Draconian
10. Vellichor
Thoughtful, provocative, beautiful and often brutally Heavy, Reliance looks set to be another essential chapter in the Soen story.
