FROM THE INFINITE LIGHT

Although Jesse Heikkinen appears to be part of fellow Finnish forest folkers HEXVESSEL no longer, it still seems that where Matt McNerney's project goes so goes ITERUM NATA...to a point. While "From the Infinite Light" is probably the heaviest offering to date from Heikkinen, neither its mass nor acceleration approach that of HEXVESSEL's "Polar Veil", which is a good thing. By weaving metallic fibers into the near orchestral "This Gleaming Eternity" and "A Manifested Nightmare", and solemn JOY DIVISION like reverence without the suicidal ideation into "A Darkness Within" and "Something Truly Almighty", this 5th album hits most high points of the group's career musically. The only problems are that the lyrics lack the beguiling lucidity of yore and too many rather ordinary or deja vu numbers ("Overture", "Ambrosia", "The Drifter") litter the rest of the output. It's not out of any disrespect that I round down here, but out of respect for what the band has already proven it can do better.