Review: “Beyond Our Imagination” by Alase

A Progressive Metal trio who are nothing short of prolific, Finland natives Alase spent the first four years of their career churning out singles with alarming regularity before 2019 debut album “Vastaus” (or “Answer“) reared its ugly head. A collective who live without fear, borders or boundaries, they have made a name for themselves by creating sonic abrasions that cover a multitude of sins in a witches brew of subgenres, however their main focus is on melody and atmosphere. That was something that they took into 2023 sophomore album “A Matter Of Time“, citing influences in Katatonia, A Perfect Circle and Tesseract to name but a few. Just ten months further down the yellow brick road, guitarist and vocalist Janne Lunnas, bassist Ari Miettinen, drummer Ville Aatsinki and lyricist Ninni Swan have returned with an EP titled “Beyond Our Imagination“…

…and given their focus on melody and atmosphere, opening cut “Broken Pendulum” hits like a wrecking ball on a building site. After a fleeting moment of Muse like bass, Gojira inspired riffs and a couple of vicious unclean vocal lines grab you by the throat before transitioning to soaring cleans in the vein of Brandon Boyd of Incubus with that rich soulfulness to add a delicious warmth. The guitar sound doesn’t shift along with the vocals however, giving the cut a real bite and vice grip before “Love Crime” rises from the black depths. A sultry performance from guest Rioghan Darcy has Maria Brink vibes to it, the Tool inspired first half breaking into something heavier as the drums pound and big riffs intertwine. Dark and brooding the lyrical narrative blurs the lines between love and lust in tasteful fashion, the vocals from both Darcy and Lunnas wrapping around each other to form the DNA of a tale of two lovers. It’s a cut with great balance, heavy and dark enough to be in keeping with the opening cut but soft enough to captivate. “When?” comes to life with an 80’s bassline that might make you think of the David Hasselhoff series Knight Rider during the first verse before evolving into something classically Progressive, the band choosing melody over power and toning down the guitars. There is still an edge and the threat of an explosion into heavier territory lurking in the background, despite the rich vocals and majestic solo, the bold chorus making this one fit for the big screen with its epic nature. Synths and programming accompany the first verse of “A Night to Remember“, the guitars, drums and bass coming in at the 75 second mark with off kilter time signatures twisting and contorting tastefully. The patterns repeat as the lyrical narrative makes it feel like a prequal to the earlier “Love Crime” but with The Dillinger Escape Plan vibes and a sinister edge. In all honesty “Beyond Our Imagination” feels like the opening chapter of a concept album about obsession that turns murderous but ends all too soon and leaves you wanting more [7.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Broken Pendulum
2. Love Crime (ft. Rioghan Darcy of the band Rioghan)
3. When?
4. A Night to Remember

“Beyond Our Imagination” by Alase is out 23rd February 2024 via Inverse Records