Rating: 9 / 10 Stars
SOM is: Will Benoit (vocals, bass), Mike Repasch-Nieves (guitar), Joel Munguia Reynolds (guitar), Justin Forrest (drums)
REVIEW – Emerging from the depths of introspection and change, SOM return with their highly anticipated third full-length album, Let The Light In, set for release on March 14, 2025, via Pelagic Records. Featuring members of shoegaze and post-rock luminaries Caspian, Junius, and Constants, the band delivers a stunning exploration of weight, melody, and atmosphere, balancing shimmering beauty with moments of seismic heaviness.
Dubbed “Doom Pop” by Metal Injection, SOM’s signature blend of shoegaze, post-rock, and crushing post-metal reaches new emotional heights on Let The Light In. The album acts as a bridge between their cathartic 2019 debut, The Fall, and the existential weight of 2022’s The Shape of Everything, turning the focus inward—a journey toward self-discovery, primal instincts, and reconciliation with the light inside us all.
Opening with “Don’t Look Back”, the album immediately pulls listeners into its fog of ethereal distortion and pulsating rhythms. The title track, “Let The Light In”, surges with a cinematic grandeur, embracing soaring melodies and a sense of cathartic release. “Chemicals” showcases the band’s ability to blend abrasive post-metal textures with hauntingly delicate atmospherics, while “The Place That I Belong” drifts through layered harmonies and hypnotic, reverb-soaked guitars.
Lead single “Give Blood” exemplifies SOM’s heavier edge, bursting forward with pummeling drums and spiraling guitars before opening into a vast, glimmering chorus. “Nightmares” carries a brooding intensity, marrying melancholic vocal harmonies with seismic waves of distortion, while “Under Streetlights” revels in lush soundscapes, evoking a sense of longing and nostalgia. The album reaches its breathtaking climax with “The Light”, a cinematic closer that lingers long after the final notes fade—a beacon of hope amidst the shadows.
Having toured extensively across North America, Europe, and the UK with acts like Katatonia, Sólstafir, Slow Crush, and Holy Fawn, SOM’s relentless dedication to their craft is palpable. Their sound—described by Kerrang! as “a heavy fog of emotion and introspection”—has evolved into something deeply immersive, a dreamy yet crushing meditation on the tension between darkness and light. Let The Light In is a testament to resilience, transformation, and the power of sound to transcend emotion.
For more information on SOM, visit:
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www.Spotify.com/Artist/SOM