Album review: ∞ - Emme Näe Elämää

Wow.. I've been waiting for this album for quite a while already and finally it's here. The new ∞ (eight) album Emme Näe Elämää feels like a fresh breath of cold air after their earlier masterpiece Näyt Kauas from 2012. The new album seems to continue from where the last one left yet the sound seems to head more towards the screamo elements mixed with post-rock and away from post-metal when comparing the two. 

Eight sticks to the same elements sound-wise in this album as the last one. The vocals are as great as they were last time with melancholy-filled moaning and screaming that really give me the chills. Not only are the vocals improved, so are the instrumentals; drum and bass sounds are varied and dynamic ranging from quiet and distant to crushing and shrill. 

"Kuinka kauan kestää toukokuun lumi?"

Compositionally Eight keeps it's quality with utilising varied elements of alternative genres. The post-rock-esque crescendos and clean guitars mix once again perfectly with the contrast of crushing style of hardcore. I was personally intrigued by the little bit of noise in the outro of the song Tuntemisaisti. Even some always-welcome blast beat action was carried out in the climaxes of the songs Kuuron Laulu and Juostaan Ylös Vuorelle. Kuuron Laulu features more aggressive and fast-paced riffs in the first half of the song. It then takes a long time building up to a crushing ending with blast beat and tremolo riffing. 

The lyrics of the album are very poetic with themes of solitude, dreams and a lot of metaphorical storytelling. I especially love the lyrics of Lohdutusseremonia which seems to tell of life and death and dealing with loss. The whole song is a melancholic piece which starts with a sad melodic guitar and a groovy drum beat. The song alternates between soft and hard with a great crescendo in the middle of the song which then comes apart and goes back to where the whole song started. 

As a fan of post-rock, hardcore and post-metal this album doesn't let me down the slightest. Every song is a story and an adventure to experience. 




Favourite songs: Lohdutusseremonia, Kuuron Laulu, Antakaa Meidän Nukahtaa

8.5/10 

Clearly one of this year's strongest albums to me.