SOM begins their newest album, ‘The Shape of Everything’, with a bleeding-heart memoire titled ‘Moment’ –the earnest lyrics speak with a supernal sadness over heavy guitar riffs, where singer Will Benoit introduces us to the atmospheric doom that pervades the senses throughout the album.

`The Shape of Everything` is the band’s follow-up to their 2021 EP `Awake` and their remarkable cover of a Billie Eilish tune, “Everything I Wanted”. The current album was released on 21 January 2022 via Pelagic Records – it is worth mentioning SOM consists of members of the bands Constants, Junius and Caspian.  SOM was then offered the opening spot for the Katatonia\ Solstafir European Tour, which could not be any more suitable with their similar sound to both bands; heavy strings with drop D and B standard tuning yet the gentleness of Benoit’s voice- a dichotomy which makes SOM’s sound so curious.  (The album was mixed and produced at Benoit`s own studio, Radio Studio in Connecticut, a solar-powered recording studio).

The second track on the album, ‘Animals’, is based on the political actions that were happening during the death of George Floyd, which caused a massive divide and a myriad of emotions between Americans.  Benoit’s voice seems to carry the weight of the words he is vocalising; it was more than a wake-up call for the entire country.  It might sound like misleading because of his airy vocals yet the song is intensely introspective, reminding us as humans that we ARE only human- and many times our actions reflect our instinctive nature.

‘Center’ follows; the video attached to the song is one of a ‘’clash to two worlds’’- a love story that ends happily, despite Benoit’s lyric, “there’s so much failure in trying…’’, leads you to believe there IS no happy ending. It is a recurring theme in SOM’s lyrics; the beginning is dismal and full of despair yet the songs end with irrefutable positivity.  It is a welcome change from the sullen and at some moments, pessimistic outlook that we as humans- and adding the tragedy of the pandemic- outlook that we have on a daily basis.

‘Shape’, the `title` track of the album, really displays the talents of all of the guitarists; with the hint of echo pedals to the heavy distortion and sludge-like sound that is somewhat common in doom metal, again, Benoit’s ambient voice sails over the noise like a glider across stagnant water. The lyrics are nothing to be taken lightly; Benoit sings of the fragility of human life but again, pulls you from your sinking ship with his unwavering strength- “I’ll fight forever; there’s no surrender.”  He gives us promise and optimism in the current world of crisis and disarray.

‘Wrong’ comes a few tracks later and it seems to be the “catchy” tune; the song that gets stuck in your head like its’ consistently on repeat- yet it is a song worth spinning like a carousel in your mind.  Benoit questions his own meaning, speaks of an “unreachable place”; an obstacle that he cannot attain no matter how hard he attempts to reach out. It is a reminder that not every day is a positive one; at times, we must trudge through the darkest corners of our mind just to make life bearable again.  Whether we have mental issues or even if we do not (Benoit spoke of his depression on a podcast interview and how it tied into this album), the current state of the world that we live in can be intolerable for the most powerful of mind; we will all question our meaning, regardless of our tolerance.  It’s a gentle reminder that for a moment, if we feel overwhelmed, we should take a step back and evaluate where we might be in our lives and if we can find solace in ourselves somehow.

The final song on the album, ‘Son of Winter’, is the song with the slowest tempo and the song that emits so much emotion, it is almost over-whelming.  The depressive lyrics begin the song- Benoit sings of “losing everything” as the guitars wail like moirologists, mimicking the sobs and soft wails of a person mourning a death.  Yet again, the song ends with Benoit saying, “…nothing can stop me now…” even though he has “lost everything”.  This is, by far, my favourite song on the album - it brings all the emotions and memories back to someone who knows what it is like to lose everything and is forced start again.  A stellar way to finish the album: Benoit’s vocals are perfection, the weight of the guitars colliding together in a symphony that begins with tragedy and ends with an intimation of fulfilment and some kind of inner peace.  SOM and ‘The Shape of Everything’ is a beacon of light as we navigate this new and, at times, frightening world.

SOM are:

Will Benoit- vocals, guitars

Justin Forrest- bass

Mike Repasch-Nieves- guitars

Joel M. Reynolds- guitars

Duncan Rich- drums

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Review by Marisa Dymond