In the hands of ∞ (eight), the friction between joy and pain becomes a singular, cyclical grace through Kuinka Löydän Luoksesi.
Release date: March 20, 2026 | Datura Projects | Instagram | Bandcamp
Long gone are the days where I froth at the mouth over a 15-minute prog epic, the kind that’s the “prologue” to a five-song suite kicking off a trilogy of conceptual albums. I always naively thought that “more is more”; the math checks out, right? But as the responsibilities pile up and the time and energy that I have dwindles away to nothing, it forces me to be far more intentional with what I listen to in the little time that I do have. Unfortunately, this shift in mindset and patience is in direct conflict with my musical FOMO, as I feel as if my survival depends on discovering the next new thing that I’ll become absolutely obsessed with. It makes the “simple” act of picking an album for the daily commute feel like a moral dilemma.
Trying to find the sweet spot between digging through brand new releases, catching up on my backlog, and retreating into the comfort of my favorites is a delicate dance indeed. Admittedly, it’s a lot of unnecessary mental overhead, but the second I stumble onto something that actually lands? All that effort suddenly feels justified, and then some. That brings us to ∞ (eight), a Finnish group that came back from the hypothetical dead to remind me why I continue pushing myself to listen to new music.
Despite this band being around the block for quite some time (circa 2006), I’m in disbelief that their brand of post-rock tinged screamo (something I am a complete fiend for) has evaded me for as long as it has; better late than never thankfully. It has been just about twelve years since their most recent album, and they’ve resurrected themselves with quite a statement that is Kuinka Löydän Luoksesi, translated as How Do I Find My Way to You. The first track alone cements the fact that you’re in for something that is going to be as emotionally moving as can be.
The opening track, “Jotta Et Unohtaisi Ääntä Joka Lauloi Sydämessäsi Kun Saavuit”, is a masterful introduction to the band and album with the sludgy hardcore/screamo start, the immensely gorgeous post-rock instrumental bridge, and then the collision of the two disparate musical styles in the explosive outro. It is to the slight detriment of the rest of the album having to follow up that song, but that isn’t to say the following tracks aren’t strong in their own right, as they most definitely are; the opener is just something else.
From the first track alone, I was getting a subtle hint of Fucked Up vibe, which was immediately cemented with the start of “Sydänkohtaus”. With how nearly identical the vocalists for ∞ (eight) and Fucked Up sound, I totally would’ve believed if you told me that the latter bands vocalist is living a double life in Finland (or of the former living in Canada). I also get slight Vi som älskade varandra så mycket vibes (probably more geographic than anything else now that I mention it), making for this sludgy, emotive Scandinavian skramz that is chock-full of blissfully sweet Deafheaven-esque post-rock bridges.
From a conceptual standpoint, Kuinka Löydän Luoksesi is centered around the cyclical emotional journey that comes with navigating the human condition. As we all know, life is full of seemingly catastrophic curveballs that are unique to each individual that walks this Earth, and coping (or lack thereof) with these life events can make or break a person. Every experience that we have, both the good and the bad, are what shape us to be who we are as human beings and this album beautifully characterizes the soul-searching that one goes through to find oneself amidst the chaos. Naturally, there are plenty of pensive moments throughout the album that capture this journey to self-enlightenment.
Whilst being told in a language that I have absolutely zero footing in, the internal struggle and anguish that comes from grappling with the human condition oozes with every note. I don’t need to understand the language to feel a deep connection to the vivid, universal emotion captured in here on Kuinka Löydän Luoksesi. It this musical intensity that mirrors the emotional turmoil that we’ve all been through at one point or another, and that is precisely why I am drawn to this cathartic genre in the first place.
Also, a little of digging on the worldwide internet revealed to me that ∞ (eight) will be debuting a VR companion piece to accompany this album on April 30 during a live performance. I don’t know anything more than that, but it seems that it should be available soon to the public, beyond those who are able to attend that specific show. If I had to guess, I’d imagine it would have to do with the constellations depicted on the album artwork, but regardless what it ends up being, I’m beyond eager to check it out!
