Jewelcase CD edition of the album with a 12-page booklet. Silver Paint applied on the texts and logos.
Released by Korpituli Productions and Wolfspell Records.
The sophomore album of Korpituli trademark Atmospheric Black Metal Nostalgia.
Bit more aggressive and grim than the debut album "The Ancient Spells Of The Past" (2021) yet boiled in the same sultry broth not entirely forgetting the hypnotic dreamy tunes of the past.
Mythical nightfires burning in the nightsky as the vast shadows of infinity embrace us, we hear the endless whispers echoing amidst the hazy smoke of nostalgia that lingers in our feet, we feel the lost sorrow of ages, never spoken of and the Witches they gather around us into their age old circle, a primordial spell is cast and in the shape of a wolf past the gates to unhallowed lands this one enters - let no sun rise again.
The band is called Korpituli, the single member is called S.Korpituli, the label is called Korpituli Productions - you can be pretty sure this is a solo endeavour of lonesome black metal pursuits. Indeed the Finnish project is, and with just a few phrases you will possess an intricate understanding of the keys to the black metal here presented. Making an effort to sound the part, As Infinite Shadows of the Nightsky could easily have been recorded 25 years ago, since it latches onto some of the bigger names in early Norwegian black metal and reproduces music of similar means, yet without the telltale hush of Grieghallen distortion. In particular, the names Emperor, Satyricon, and Burzum seem obvious links to that era.
Korpituli certainly intended those influences to show through, because the tones of the guitars specifically target the clanging sonority and tangling intensity from albums like Nemesis Divina and Filosofem, the latter coming through in instant flashbulb recognition when ‘Endless Whispers Echo’ opens. Writ large on everything though is the scale and ambition of early Emperor, from where I assume lots of the titles were inspired, as well as some of the bombastic, if limited, symphonic elements. We also get an understated mutter of vocals for relaxed building sections like that kicking off ‘Nostalgia Burning’, while that crepuscular snarl of Ihsahn’s crops up now and again alongside rare examples of pure Gollum voice. Any time the album puts on any significant burst of pace - especially when blasting accompanies it - Darkthrone seem to be in the room, not at their most necro but rather A Blaze in the Northern Sky levels of balance and momentum. ‘The Keys and Gates to Unhallowed Lands’ serves as the most pertinent reminder of that duo.
I’d like to say that As Infinite Shadows of the Nightsky can be called more than just a tribute to “best of Norway 1994”, however truth be told there’s barely an original thought here. The songwriting delivers a semblance of effort at least, each cut pulling its weight and alternating between fiery renditions of blackened purpose and atmospheric contemplations. ‘Endless Whispers Echo’ makes a play of what its title hints at, dropping the vocals to a whisper for a long portion, and ‘In the Witches Circle’ also attempts something different in the form of some unusual clean parts, sort of like if King Diamond were a baritone vampire. The album is about the right length too, which always helps, since 47 minutes and just 7 songs shouldn’t become a drag despite the overall familiarity of the sound. As such, I suppose Korpituli could be recommended more strongly to absolute fanatics for the authentic sound of second wave black metal, or equally for those who haven’t experienced much of it, since this conveys the charm and threat that many of the original records possessed. In the grand scheme, however, it’s just pretty good.
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.
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