Set for release on July 5th, 2024 – that is, tomorrow, as of writing this review – via Reigning Phoenix Music, “Beyond the Aeons” is the debut album of OCTOPLOID, the solo band of Olli-Pekka Laine, who is probably best known for his contributions in the ranks of AMORPHIS. He was one of the band’s founding members in the 1990s and, after leaving the band at the turn of the millennium, he returned in 2017. He has played in bands such as MANNHAI, CHAOSBREED, and BARREN EARTH, too, but in this new solo material, it is this vintage 1990s legacy that shines through, the spirit of the 1999 AMORPHIS album, “Tuonela,” especially – and the unbridled love for the Finnish psych-rock legends, KINGSTON WALL, which also characterized that album classic from 25 years ago. On an interesting side note, it was also the last AMORPHIS full-length to feature his signature basslines until his return on “Queen of Time” (2018). So, whichever way you look at this new endeavor, things seem as though turning full circle. For an incurable nostalgic, like me, OCTOPLOID‘s choice of metal aesthetic immediately hit a home run. Of course, OCTOPLOID‘s debut resonates with a unique air of its own, featuring a wide array of vocalists and combining elements from vintage prog, death metal, black metal, and psychedelia.
Although the album does trigger strong flashbacks of vintage AMORPHIS here and there, the album opener, “Dawns in Nothingness,” even with the song’s heavily folk-inspired death/black-metal stance, makes it a point to demonstrate that this is not merely some AMORPHIS derivative. Mikko Kotamäki of SWALLOW THE SUN takes care of the vocal department with nothing short of impressive growls; he is also listed as the band’s vocalist in the press release, although the label’s website claims that Tomi Joutsen of AMORPHIS, who appears on one track, would be the band’s lead vocalist. Go figure. Okay, there is maybe a subtle feel of early AMORPHIS, on occasion, but the vocals, in particular, pack a little more punch than, say, “Tales From the Thousand Lakes,” (1994) and the production is a bit too modern to serve as an early-1990s pastiche. The song is a powerful introduction to the band’s sonic craft – and, as a nice easter egg, somewhere around the 5-minute mark, you can hear the lead guitar paraphrasing a motif right from one of KINGSTON WALL‘s loveliest classics, “For All Mankind,” from 30 years ago!
And speaking of the aforementioned 1994 classic, “Coast of Drowned Sailors” sure does give you flashbacks of it. The song features Tomi Koivusaari on vocals. Yeah, he plays the guitar in AMORPHIS, now, but he was the band’s vocalist 30 years ago when that monolith album came out. The song’s main theme is also such a sublime piece of Slavic melancholy that it has AMORPHIS written all over it. As a bonus, the song also features Janitor Muurinen of XYSMA as a guest vocalist. So, as we would say in Finnish, the song oozes “historian siipien havinaa.” That would roughly translate as the “swishing of the wings of history,” or something. You see, XYSMA was – and still is – one of the most legendary bands ever to sprout from the dark dungeons of the Turku underground, in the late 1980s.
Tomi Joutsen contributes his signature vocals to “Human Amoral,” so you cannot escape the feeling that, suddenly, it is almost as if you were listening to AMORPHIS. The main riffs do very little to dissolve that feeling – until the keyboard-driven section (starring Kim Rantala, I presume) – nods toward KINGSTON WALL rather prominently. AMORPHIS hasn’t flirted with this band’s signature quirks for a good while, so this little homage sounds rather inspiring and fresh, at least to me. Then, the follow-up track, “Shattered Wings,” nods toward this very direction even deeper, featuring Petri Eskelinen on vocals; he has gained a worthy reputation in the ranks of FEASTEM, When the lead guitar gears up on shredding those lovely little lysergic licks, it is as though being thrust through a timewarp right back to the legendary venue in Helsinki, Tavastia, circa February 1993 (the album release party of KINGSTON WALL‘s sophomore effort).
Then, the instrumental title track throws a surprise curveball at you; perhaps due to the very vintage-sounding Mellotron, the first impression created by the soundscapes is closer to 1970s prog dinosaurs than metal altogether. I’m thinking about early KING CRIMSON and stuff like that. So, I couldn’t help but wonder whether it could be within the realm of possibilities ever to catch this band and OPETH sharing the bill somewhere, with the latter dropping their mustache-prog-era bangers exclusively. Booking agents, take my hint, yes?
During the next couple of songs, the spotlight is aimed at Kotamäki. On “Hallowed Flame,” his cherubic clean vocals pour honey into your ears – and his growls sound as pristine as ever. The opening riffs traverse rather AMORPHIS-like (silent) waters but, as the plot thickens further, you notice also novel elements that make this bunch stand out as a unique force to be reckoned with. Sure, “Concealed Serenity” sounds vaguely familiar, too, but Kotamäki‘s impressive vocal delivery weaves all the AMORPHIS and KINGSTON WALL influences together into a rather unique whole.
Finally, “A Dusk of Vesk” brings this VSOP blend of death, prog, and psychedelia to a haunting closure, featuring guest vocalist Jón Aldará of BARREN EARTH fame. Appropriately, the closer is one of the highlight tracks on the album. The more I listen to this fine selection of psychedelic death metal (is there such a subgenre?), the more I am enchanted by it. I think “Beyond the Aeons” will be a mighty candidate to rank pretty high in my top 10 list of Finnish metal albums of 2024.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Dawns in Nothingness
- Coast of the Drowned Sailors
- Human Amoral
- Shattering Wings
- Beyond the Aeons
- Hallowed Flame
- Concealed Serenity
- Dusk of Vesk
Lineup
Mikko Pietinen – drums & percussion
Peter Salonen – guitars
Kim Rantala – keyboards
Olli-Pekka Laine – bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Mikko Kotamäki – vocals
and guests:
Petri Eskelinen – vocals on track 4
Tomi Koivusaari – vocals on track 2
Tomi Joutsen – vocals on track 3
Janitor Muurinen – vocals on track 2
Jón Aldará – vocals on track 8
Samu Leminen – additional guitars
Kasper Mårtenson – keyboards
Ile Laaksomaa – guitar solo on track 8
Label
Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM)
Links
https://reigningphoenixmusic.com/artists/octoploid
https://www.facebook.com/octoploidmusic
https://www.instagram.com/octoploidmusic
