If there is one positive outcome of the pandemic, it’s that the members of the progressive metal band AMORPHIS had a lot more time for other projects. We have already seen both Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari release their debut solo efforts. Drummer Jan Rechberger is set to release a new album after joining the Australian doom prog outfit THE ETERNAL, and finally, bass player Olli-Pekka Laine is ready to unleash his debut solo effort under the moniker OCTOPLOID. “Beyond the Aeons” is ready for release on July 5th, 2024, via Reigning Phoenix Music. We were invited to exclusively listen to the album before its release in Helsinki on May 23rd, 2024.
Olli-Pekka Laine started his solo band OCTOPLOID in 2022. The band’s music combines elements from ’90s death/black metal, ’70s prog, and ’90s psychedelic rock. The core band includes Mikko Pietinen (MANNHAI, KASMIR) on drums, Peter Salonen on lead/rhythm guitars (THE KINKY THING), Kim Rantala (ex-AMORPHIS) on keyboards, and Mikko Kotamäki (SWALLOW THE SUN) on vocals. Some of these names were well known to me, while others, like Mikko Pietinen and Peter Salonen, were unfamiliar. However, while listening to this record, it becomes clear that Olli-Pekka Laine had a definite vision for which musicians would best fit the roles. The genres he is combining require these specific musicians. For instance, Peter Salonen‘s guitars, although unfamiliar to me, really impressed me throughout the record with his very proggy sound. Mikko Pietinen, on the other hand, not being foremost a “metal” drummer also had a great effect on the drums, which altogether provided a lot of dynamics and depth on the record, playing around with different contrasts, knowing when to go full blast and when to ease back.
After a few short welcoming words by Olli-Pekka Laine, OCTOPLOID‘s record started with a blast. “The Dawn In Nothingness” instantly shows what you can expect from this record: a genre-defying mix of whatever Laine listens to, with a hint of AMORPHIS (think “Elegy” and “Karelian Isthmus”). There’s a little bit of death metal, a little bit of black metal, but also a lot of prog.
“Coast of the Drowned Sailors” has a very cool melodic intro that leads into some AMORPHIS-esque riffs. The song has some PINK FLOYD-like sections that go surprisingly well with the overall aggressive mood. It was also quite a surprise that the song ended on a positive note – literally. I can’t think of too many metal anthems that end in major.
Then, “Human Amoral,” which was released as a single, followed. There was a great transition between the second song and “Human Amoral,” which made me appreciate the attention to detail for the overall listening experience. In the context of this album, which is overall more complex, this song is perhaps the catchiest and most hook-filled, so it made sense that it was picked as a single. It doesn’t surprise me that it has garnered close to 200k views on YouTube.
“Shattered Wings” included Petri Eskelinen (FEASTEM) as a guest. It had WISHBONE ASH-esque twin guitar melodies that spiced the song up and a very cool Moog solo (presumably by Kasper Mårtenson). The fifth track, the title track, was quite interesting. It was a shorter song, providing a bit of a break between all the intense moments. It started as a slower song with a cool psychedelic guitar solo. There was a voice-over that felt like it was underwater, but the main melody was provided by the guitar. It was a little psychedelic and quirky, but yet another cool track. Is this the most representative song on the record? Maybe not, but the title is pretty cool for an album.
The next track, “Hallowed Flame,” started with a drum-fill transition. It had a moodier atmosphere, and in the description, it’s mentioned that it’s a waltz. While it’s not exactly a Viennese Waltz, it makes for an interesting change in the record. “Concealed Serenity” felt like the slowest song on the record. It had a bit of a Gothic/Doom metal vibe but also felt a bit grungy at times, with a metal-like bridge with clean vocals. The clean vocals made the song a little hooky and added even more diversity to the album.
The final track, “A Dusk of Vex,” was one of my personal highlights. It was a very psychedelic track that included THE BEATLES-esque sitar. Surprisingly, it turns into a death metal track, with sitar hints here and there, and then switches for its chorus to the apparent ’70s prog influences that the album has. This track might have some of the heaviest riffs on the album. There is some fun drumming involved as well, which somehow makes this complex song a little lighter.
Overall, OCTOPLOID‘s “Beyond the Aeons” was not only fun but also a quirky listening experience that showed a lot of guts. As someone who grew up listening to ’70s prog bands like YES, WISHBONE ASH, and PINK FLOYD, it was fun to see how the band integrated many flavors of this intricate genre and combined it with more modern (or rather nostalgic) metal sounds like ’90s death and black metal. The addition of other surprising elements made this album an interesting composition to listen to and a very refreshing one at that. The album is perhaps not the easiest to listen to or digest, but these elements are combined wonderfully and are tied together in a well-executed production. Combining genres that require different production approaches seems extremely difficult, but the fact that everything flows nicely on this record as if everything always belonged together, makes for a very pleasant and immersive listening experience that is easy on the ear.
Tracklist
01. The Dawns In Nothingness [feat. Mikko Kotamäki]*
02. Coast Of The Drowned Sailors [feat. Tomi Koivusaari & Janitor Muurinen]*
03. Human Amoral [feat. Tomi Joutsen]*
04. Shattered Wings [feat. Petri Eskelinen]#/%
05. Beyond The Aeons #/%
06. The Hallowed Flame [feat. Mikko Kotamäki]*
07. Concealed Serenity [feat. Mikko Kotamäki]%
08. A Dusk Of Vex [feat. Jón Aldará | physical: long version; digital: edit]^/%
Bonus Track (physical only):
09. Monotony [feat. Petri Eskelinen] %
* Kim Rantala (keyboards)
# Samu Leminen (additional lead guitars)
^ Ile Laaksomaa (additional lead guitar)
% Kasper Mårtenson (keyboards)
Label
Reigning Phoenix Music
Lineup
Mikko Kotamäki | vocals (live)
Peter Salonen | guitars
Kim Rantala | keyboards
Olli-Pekka Laine | bass, keyboards, backing vocals
Mikko Pietinen | drums, percussion
