SOM have shared the video for new single "Chemicals," the latest single taken from their forthcoming third full-length album Let The Light In, on March 14 through Berlin's Pelagic Records.
With a unique sound dubbed "Doom Pop" by Metal Injection, SOM's dreamy shoegaze roots are on display across Let The Light In but there is heft at its core that is bracing and ferocious.
If the band's debut album The Fall explored hitting rock bottom and sophomore release The Shape of Everything grappled with the ever-darkening world around us, Let The Light In sees SOM turn their sights inward, towards our most primal impulses: Seeking solace and reconciliation from the vibrancy within ourselves and the people we hold close.
Adversity became the catalyst for change when, due to unforeseen circumstances, the band's founding drummer left midway through the album's writing and recording process. SOM took the remainder of 2023 to reshape and refocus, eventually re-recording most of the album in a new configuration that allowed them to paint in even broader sonic strokes. The result is a raw but richly melodic album unafraid to travel through the depths of human emotion, ultimately guiding us towards growth and enlightenment.
Angular and anthemic, "Chemicals" is SOM at their most dynamically adept. Marrying the alt-metal menace of high-gain distortion and punching, half-time drums with catchy hooks and soaring vocal euphoria; "Chemicals" is the newly-refigured four-piece fully embracing the broad spectrum of their "Doom Pop" dichotomy. Directed by artist/director Joel Villegas, who has worked with the likes of Holy Fawn, Poison The Well, and Glassing, the video for "Chemicals" is a sultry, psyched-out trip that pairs the saturated, lo-fi warmth of CRT monitors with the band's truly panoramic sound.
Since 2019, SOM have toured extensively across North America, Europe and the UK alongside acts including Katatonia, Solstafir, Slow Crush, and many more. This relentless live commitment across 21 countries, coupled with 2023's introspective restructuring, has profoundly altered their creative approach.
As they began working on this new material, the members of SOM found themselves in a fresh headspace, armed with a newfound, hard-earned maturity. Let The Light In is SOM's testament to resilience and evolution. Born from challenge and change, the album pulses with confidence and catharsis, imploring the listener and the band themselves to traverse the darkness and find the light.
Let The Light In is released on the March 14.
"Chemicals" is out now.
SOM ON TOUR:
WITH EARTHSIDE:
2/21 — Boston, MA — Middle East
2/22 — Montreal, QC — Bar le Ritz
2/23 — Toronto, ON — Drake Underground
2/25 — Detroit, MI — Sanctuary
2/26 — Cleveland, OH — The Foundry
2/27 — Chicago, IL — Beat Kitchen
3/1 — Nashville, TN — The End
3/2 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade
3/5 — Orlando, FL — Conduit
3/7 — Baltimore, MD — Metro Gallery
3/8 — Brooklyn, NY — The Meadows
Tickets are available here.
