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Merriam-Webster defines pedigree in part as “2a: an ancestral line (Lineage) b: the origin and the history of something”. Well, when the bloodline of a band includes current/past members of AMORPHIS and SWALLOW THE SUN (among others), to say that OCTOPLOID has “an impressive pedigree” is a bit of an understatement. Still, that’s no guarantee that what emerges will be anything more than a blending together of two already near-cousins in sound; possibly even something that would’ve worked better kept within each’s respective outfit. Alright, that’s the last of the comparisons made, now let’s get to the important thing – the album itself.
Firstly, let’s dig into the band’s logo, which gives off severe OZRIC TENTACLES vibes, always a plus in my book. The artwork of Orion Landau has definitely grown in variation over his career, and cover image captures-not-copies Roger Dean’s ethos, the two of these together setting even higher hopes for the music herein.
‘The Dawns In Nothingness’, well, dawns, Middle Eastern figures and choral accompaniment leading into a heavier than anticipated verse, aural tsunamis of keys forming, making landfall, laying pleasing waste to the eardrums of headphone devotees. No lightweight twee prog-lite here, reminiscent in ways of LUNA’S CALL’s spectacular Void of a few years back. IRON MAIDEN guitar-monies kick take us to the ‘Coast Of The Drowned Sailors’, Tomi Koivusaari (AMORPHIS) and Janitor from quirk-metal/rock/avant-jammers XYSMA lending their pipes to this tuneful mélange that shouldn’t work but does.
Vocal blends of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s get a nod at the start of ‘Human Amoral’, then elements of…well, imagine SLOUGH FEG with death vocals, and you have a rough image; MANILLA ROAD fronted by Johnny [Hedlund] from UNLEASHED comes to mind. After the brief respite of the title track, ‘The Hallowed Flame’ seems to be where the true progressive playfulness of all involved gets a chance to frolic about in this sonic field. A slow burner, clean, crisp and extremely well-executed solos move over a bed of shifting rhythms, the ever-present keys floating above, a multicolored skyscape.
I’ve left out a few songs on purpose, but if you’ve gotten this far into the review, I’m sure you’ve made your decision. OCTOPLOID’s not going to be for every fan of the other bands the members are in, and that’s nothing to discount either party. But for those who flip through stacks of vinyl at the store seeking out GENESIS’ early work, the first FIREBALLET album and the JACULA discography, Beyond The Aeons is an ideal destination.
Review By: Lord Randall
OCTOPLOID
Beyond The Aeons
Reigning Phoenix Music