Finally got the album about a week ago. I've spun it about six times already. I love the first half of the album, the second half of the album is good (but not as strong as the first half), and I love the production. It's rare that an album out of Russia sounds so crisp.
In terms of general influences, it's tough for me to say. (Autumn Rain Melancholy? Just kidding.) I'm really curious to hear what you say are your influences...
But I do agree with the reviewer(s) who mentioned that some of your musical "citations" are too direct. It's not often I listen to a song and say to myself, "Why, that sounds exactly like riff X from band Y." (I can most distinctly remember thinking this when I first heard Dream Theater's "This Dying Soul" and thought they might get sued by Megadeth.)
I understand they are probably unintentional, but, alas that doesn't make them any less distracting for me. It happened to me three separate times on the album:
1) Mired--the combination of spot-on Akerfeldt growls (starting around the 1:24 mark), guitar harmonies, and the active and high bass lines brought Opeth to mind very strongly. Even the song's name conspires to give this impression (cf. "Beneath the Mire").
2) Bless You To Die--the pinch harmonics at the beginning just scream "Emperor!" to me, and in particular the chromatic pinch harmonic fill near the beginning of "The Loss and Curse of Reverence."
3) The Beautiful Nature--the part that starts around the 8-minute mark couldn't be more similar to that interlude guitar riff in Katatonia's "Brave."