Amorphis is currently:
Amorphis began their
career as a fairly
standard death metal band
from
Finland. Since their
debut album,
The Karelian Isthmus, their
musical
style has slowly morphed into a
combination of
progressive/
space rock
and
power metal.
The Karelian Isthmus, released in 1992, gained the group positive notices in
several metal publications with its brutal, yet original guitar riffs. That Amorphis
had
talent was beyond
doubt, but no one could have predicted the stylistic
shift
of their next album,
Tales from the Thousand Lakes. Their sophomore effort of 1994 was still predominantly
death metal, but it was much more
melodic than the group's debut, utilizing keyboards,
as well as a
singer on parts of the album. Even more
impressive, the album was conceptually based
on the
Kalevala, a book of Finnish national
poetry dating back to
medieval times.
1996 saw the release of the band's third
CD,
Elegy. The album continued the band's progression
towards a more
eclectic sound, and, as such, was a total
mindbomb. Vocal duties on
Elegy were split between
Tomi Koivusaari, who had growled on the band's
previous efforts, and the newly added Pasi Koskinen, who handled the
actual
singing. The contrast between the former's forceful death metal vocals and the latter's distinctive tenor gave
the album a
dynamic not found elsewhere. Contributing to this dynamic was the
diverse instrumentation, featuring
that standard implement of metal
chaos, the
sitar (which begins and ends the album). The
lyrics came almost
directly from another
traditional Finnish
tome, the
Kanteletar, and offered a fascinating
glimpse in the cares
and troubles of the Finns of
yore. A sample, from the track "
My Kantele" (according to the
liner notes, a
kantele
was an ancient musical instrument similar to a guitar):
Truly they lie, they talk utter nonsense
Those who say that music reckon that the kantele
Was fashioned by God from the great pike's shoulders;
From the waterdog's crooked bones, it was molded from sorrow.
After
Elegy, the group subsequently released the
My Kantele EP, which featured a cover of
Hawkwind's
"
Levitation," as well as the
epic song "
The Brother Slayer".
Then, in 1999, the group released
Tuonela, a compelling
depiction of the Finnish
underworld. The album's
sound continued the shift away from death metal, as only one song on the CD, "
Greed", featured Koivusaari's
trademark growl. Although the songs on
Tuonela featured flutes and a saxophone, the tracks were less
melodic than those on
Elegy, as the band was apparently trying to achieve a more
hypnotic,
psychadelic
effect. On some parts of the album, they succeed (most notably on "
Morning Star" and "
Summer's End"), while on
other parts, the music becomes quite dense. Although
Tuonela takes many more listens than its
predecessor
to comprehend, it holds it own against the rest of the band's previous material.
2001's
Am Universum is easily the catchiest of the group's work. Were it not for the echoing synths and spacey
guitars, as well as the recurring flutes and
woodwinds that occasionally drift into the music, one could almost
accuse the band of writing conventional rock songs! The only reminders of the group's past, in fact, are the crushing
guitar riffs that give tracks like "
Drifting Memories" and "
Grieve Stricken Heart" an unexpected
kick in the pants.
Although the album is not quite as
consistent as
Elegy and
Tuonela, the high points of the album are still
dominant, making
Am Universum one of the best metal discs of 2001.
Their next album,
Far From the Sun, was released in May of 2003 in most of
Europe. It will be released in the
UK and
America in late summer, and in
Japan sometime during the
autumn months. The band's sound on this recording is very similar to that on
Tuonela and
Am Universum, with diverse instrumentation, a neo-space rock atmosphere, and Koskinen's edgy voice giving the music weight. Unfortunately, there aren't are many hooks in the songs as there were on their previous CD.
Far From the Sun is not a wash, however. The best pieces on the album ("
Day of Your Beliefs" and the title track are examples) have a
traditional, almost
Celtic feel to them thanks to Holopainen's
lilting guitar lines. The lesser songs, much like those on
Tuonela get better once their musical twists and turns become more familiar to the listeners. Lyrically, the album deals with death, pain, and hate. "
God of Deception," for example, deals with suicide, discussing the resulting grief and feelings of betrayal. Whereas "Day of Your Beliefs" tells of an afterlife contrary to that indicated by the religions of the world. And the final track, "
Smithereens," discusses the negative consequences of giving into hate and spite. All in all, a
worthy addition to the Amorphis
canon.
The band is currently touring sporadically, primarily playing summer festivals, presumably in preparation for an as of yet unannounced tour supporting
Far From the Sun.