New lament for Einvigi.
Led by Petteri Granberg (guitar/vocals), Joonas Koppanen (bass/vocals), Krister Virtanen (guitar, ex-Concrete Icon, ex-Unsphered), and Mikael Ruoho (drums, Wrathrone), the now-independent band has announced the release of its fourth album, Latent, for 2026.
Resistance immediately envelops us in its haunting, ethereal harmonics, but as I suspected, tranquility transforms into virulent darkness in a sudden acceleration, complemented by visceral screams. We find ourselves caught in a shifting whirlwind, alternating between whispers and new outbursts of shouting, letting the waves crash over us one after another as they carry us toward Hourglass Paradox, which reveals far more mysterious tones—yet ones that also flare up more quickly. The sound remains intoxicating, following the phases of fury, yet it’s a bit rawer, allowing for a soaring final where two voices dance together before falling silent, leading into Deafening Silence, which takes its time to build its atmosphere before adding its own intensity. Once again, the band alternates between gentleness and aggression with astonishing ease, even attempting to blend the two for a seamless transition, preparing us for spectacular outbursts before returning to melancholy with Stigma, a composition that quickly takes on epic tones. The alternating vocals are perfect for setting the pace, with their almost martial influences surfacing from time to time between Folk-inspired elements during the soothing breaks; then, it is through dissonance that Waltz of Destruction reveals itself, showcasing a dark and haunting sound. The opening scream is heart-wrenching, confirming the track’s DSBM roots as it races viciously through the darkness at its own pace, even throwing in a few breathless patterns; but Leviathan grants us a brief moment of respite before imposing its own heavy riffs, while also sparing us during more ethereal passages before summoning an intoxicating dual vocal before its final. Valeriana follows suit by exploding immediately, but eventually offers a more ethereal dimension through clean vocals as well as the luminous lead guitar parts that appear from time to time, contrasting with the apparent calm of the break and delaying the return of the violence. The intensity of its return effortlessly carries us into Latent, the final track, which takes a rather progressive approach, taking the time to weave each sound before replacing it with a darker one – or, conversely, a more refined one – before a true break marked by a groan in the background, finally letting all the darkness surge forth, gradually losing life before one last surge.
Although I missed Einvigi’s previous album, I can clearly feel the evolution the band has undergone since its early days. Latent is a treasure trove of visceral darkness expressed by a quartet in the throes of creative fervor, and it’s a true joy to let them sweep us away with them.
90/100
