Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and that Finland will deliver interesting Metal every year. Here we have another debut: Beyond The Aeons. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking these are amateurs. OCTOPLOID is formed by members of Amorphis, Barren Earth, Swallow the Sun, and many more! This is the closest we’re going to get this year to a Finnish extreme Metal super band. However, I’ll stay sissu and show no apparent emotion until we listen to this carefully. Does it hold up to such high standards?
Imagine that you take the classical psychedelic Rock on acid your grandparents loved and mix it with Tales from The Thousand Lakes (old Amorphis for the noobs) that your parents (should) love. It’s wild Death Metal that doesn’t fit stereotypes. I’m pleased by the level of creativity present in this album. Many super bands end up sounding like washed-out versions of their “source” bands. That’s not the case here. OCTOPLOID is wacky, audacious, and fun, but it’s still heavy like an old unpolished ’90s Death/Black Metal album. You could sit with your old Metalhead relatives (I don’t have any, but maybe you’re lucky!) and all enjoy different bits of Beyond.
There’s a legitimate return to the old ways in Beyond. Those harmonies that long for warmer lands, those deep harsh vocals, a smooth bass, and drums that don’t take over but work as a good complement to everything else going on. I also love the writing in this album. All the tracks hit you right in the gut. However, it pains me to say that I do have a few issues with the album, and they’re not insignificant—or well, it depends on what you care about (if you’re reading this, probably about nothing).
If you told me this album came out 25 years ago, I’d say, “Oh wow, this is so ahead of its time!” I say that because the production sounds like a polished version of what Finland or Sweden would have thrown at us in the early ’90s. I have no doubt this is a conscious decision and that the band wants to sound more organic. Plus, it does give it that “other planet” feeling. But I can’t stop thinking how much meaner this thing could be with a more “contemporary” production style. That said, at least it’s not loud and compressed to death. That’s always a win in my book.
I still think OCTOPLOID‘s debut is promising, and I might even reevaluate it by the end of the year. It sounds old and new at the same time. Also, doesn’t the intro of “The Dawns In Nothingness” make you think of a Sergio Leone Western? I love details like that. Anyway, I think this was supposed to be space Metal or something trippy, but I’m not sure anymore. Beyond got me too high to remember what it was about. That should be a good sign!
Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Release date: 5 July, 2024
Website: https://www.facebook.com/octoploidmusic
Country: Finland (duh!)
Score: A drunk octopus in your bed, or 3.7/5.0? I just fractured the scoring system. What other proof do you need that it is useless?”
Metal Eclipse Reviews 