Finland’s Creinium were formed in Spring 2012 by Aleksi Holma, Juuso Putti and Antti Myllynen after melodic Death Metal band Path Of Annihilation broke up. They started recording a first demo, Modern World Tyranny, which was finally released at the very end of Spring 2013, and the reactions were very positive in the band’s home country. The Hard Rock / Metal magazine Inferno even elected this demonstrational stuff as ‘demo of the month’, for what it’s worth. It also led to a contract with Inverse Records.
Just like for the demo, Creinium took care of everything themselves this time, i.e. production, mix etc. Project Utopia lasts for just over half an hour and it starts somewhat experimental; i.e. an intro with industrial and atmospheric sounds and samples. It’s slightly obscure and obscure and therefore nicely introducing the majesty of this effort. Creinium combine Death, Black and Doom-Death Metal, yet all of it is drenched in a muddy and abyssal sphere, with inclusion of many types of synths and keyboards (not of the electronic kind, but taking influence from symphonic, gothic-atmospheric and cosmic themes), and given a specific defining direction by means of a little rough yet dense production. This stuff is very varying in different aspects (I mentioned the different keyboard additions and the mix of different yet related metalized styles), but it counts as well for the tempo, the atmosphere, the melodies, the song structures (in its most extreme one can call it a perfected symbiosis of progressive modernism and old schooled tradition), and the vocals (mainly grunting, sometimes screaming, and different other vocal chords too).
With Project Utopia, Creinium will not have released my favourite 2014-release, but the potentiality is enormous. I have no idea whether it’s meant to be a foretaste for a possible upcoming full album, but I guess that, with some assistance of, for example, a professional producer, and with increased experience, this band will become a revelation in the (near) future. For now: benefit of doubt.