An oft-overlooked and far-too-often underrated album in Amorphis’ catalog is Elegy. This was the stepping point for Amorphis from the death metal of Karelian Isthmus and Tales of the Thousand Lakes to the more progressive metal that we know today. Dripping with 70s aesthetic, Elegy was a fantastic work that focused more on prog rock than anything else, citing fellow Finns Kingston Wall as a direct inspiration (“Relief”). Octoploid’s debut, Beyond the Aeons, seeks to be a direct continuation to that singular sound on Elegy. Olli-Pekka Laine’s project, this seeks to be more of an homage to a time gone by than anything else, and he’s recruited a smorgasbord of famous Finnish and one Faroese musicians for this, including Mikko Kotamäki (Swallow the Sun), Janitor Muurinen (Xysma), Tomi Joutsen (Amorphis), Tomi Koivusaari (Amorphis), Jón Aldará (Hamferð), and many others.
This all-star lineup of musicians turns Beyond the Aeons into an enjoyable record that recaptures the same energy that Elegy did nearly thirty years ago. This influence is immediately apparent on “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” which has an opening riff that is nearly identical to the opening riff of “On Rich and Poor” from Elegy. It’s moments like this that make me sit back in my chair with a wide grin on my face listening to a bunch of friends have a good time, and that’s the main takeaway from Beyond the Aeons. This album is not meant to be groundbreaking, it’s meant for Olli and friends to jam together and make some good music. Other highlights across the album include opener “The Dawns in Nothingness” and “The Hallowed Flame,” both tracks which evoke an older Amorphis than anything else, especially with the tasty Hammond organ that pervades the atmosphere. This album is a nostalgic good time through and through, however the weak point is the title track interlude. While the instrumentation on it is nice, it feels disconnected from the rest of the album as a whole. Critique aside, everything sounds wonderful on Beyond the Aeons, with every instrument given room to breathe. I would eat anything that Octoploid releases down the line up with a smile on my face, because I love the sound Amorphis captured on Elegy, and the sound that Octoploid unearths on Beyond the Aeons. This is tons of fun, and I will be returning to it throughout the rest of the year. Here’s your summer vibes album of 2024.
