Review by Felix on December 2, 2023.

Korpituli have released two albums up to now. It is, of course, another one man project and slowly but steadily I am getting sick of these bands. Wouldn’t it be more satisfying to share your musical ideas with two or three band mates? Is it impossible that different opinions can make the draft of a song better? Anyway, let’s take it as it is and jump into “As Infinite Shadows of the Nightsky”. I am talking about an album which is motivated by great role models (Emperor, for example), but it does not reach the quality of the inspiring classics. Mister Korpituli does not always strike the right tone.

A good opener is a fine start, but we all know that it alone does not make a good album. Nevertheless, “The Keys and Gates to Unhallowed Lands” marks a promising start. Its melody lines pick up the haunting harmonies of Emperor’s debut. The perfection of “In the Nightside Eclipse” remains untouched, but the song has verve and atmosphere. Well, the latter remains as it comes to “Endless Whispers Echo”, but now our lonely friend seems to be inspired by rather ambient Burzum songs or lame suicidal black metal. The album derails in a matter of minutes, even the slightly more powerful ending cannot keep it on track. The artist also starts to vary his voice, but his solemn or theatrical singing is not for the benefit of the audience. Despite his surely good intentions, the dude almost ruins “In the Witches Circle” with his nearly embarrassing way of singing the words “witches circle”. By contrast, his harsh vocal approach and some desperate, clean shouts in “Lost, Unspoken Sorrow of Ages” are absolutely okay, but come on, accept your limits.

As the album progresses, it gets more and more evident that the opener does not fully represent the art of Korpituli. Slow rhythms play a big role on “As Infinite Shadows of the Nightsky” and melancholy and fatalism gain the upper hand. This is a pity, because the opener and some thrilling up-tempo sequences of the aforementioned “Lost, Unspoken Sorrow of Ages” imply a respectable potential of the artist when it comes to comparatively fast segments. The absent velocity is not the only problem during the (not really) majestic sections. The worse thing is actually that they are pretty long, but they fail to develop a hypnotic effect. Yet I want to stay fair: there are almost no parts that are totally annoying. Even “In the Witches Circle” houses some intense and furious sections.

The keyboards accompany the guitars and drums more or less during the entire playtime, but they are cleverly used and so they appear as an organic instrument in the soundscape of the Finn. Speaking of organic elements, the production tastes slightly computerized, but all in all the mix does not mar the big picture. And exactly this picture tells us that Korpituli is able to write substantial songs (parts) with a certain depth, but to waste some percentages of his potential seems to be a hobby of the guy. Or he suffers from a rare, non-healthy weakness for somewhat mediocre mid-paced or slow songs. Anyway, the album has grown on me and so I think that its positive sides dominate. But if the artist prefers to stay alone, he should at least ask for a second opinion when it comes to the recordings for the next album.

Rating: 7.2 out of 10