Amorphis is a Finnish band that’s been around since the early 90s, and since then has been changing musical character from Death to Heavy Metal with a touch of Gothic. It was 2003 when the latest Amorphis full-length album saw the light of the day. Subsequently, there have been some changes regarding the record company and the lineup… Nuclear Blast is now responsible for the promotion and the general support of the sextet, while Tomi Joutsen took the spot behind the microphone after the departure of Pasi Koskinen.
Most times, the change of the singer has a great impact in a band’s reputation, especially when the recent lineup was together for quite a while releasing some successful music. The new singer is always compared to the past one and has to undergo continuous exams to prove that he’s also good. Fortunately, this is not the case for Amorphis, because Mr. Joutsen’s voice fits perfectly in the band’s sound, clearing all the clouds of uncertainty.
The band, for the second time since Elegy, turned to Kalevala, the traditional Finnish collection of epic poems, to gain inspiration to compose this concept album.
Some keyboard tunes open for the first album track, entitled “Two Moons.” The fast-tempo of this song takes the listener by the throat, borrowing something from the old days. “House of Sleep” is next, proving that it was the best choice for the band’s first video clip. The song has distinct Gothic Metal direction, with a melodic and catchy main riff, and a sing-along chorus. Joutsen’s performance follows the classic clean mode, with a mellow Finnish vocal pattern, bringing to mind Ville Laihiala from the “departed” Sentenced. The low-tuned clean guitar intro brings “Leaves Scar” to life, where things get a little bit more aggressive, with the addition of some Death Metal growls. The next track, “Born from Fire,” comprises an intense and emotional chorus melody, followed by an atmospheric guitar solo that is supported by some great keyboard work. The return to the Gothic sound is marked in “Under a Soil and Black Stone,” where someone can find the best guitar melody on the album, leading the listener to the catharsis at the end of the song.
“Perkele (The God of Fire)” brings to the surface the band’s Death Metal foundations, while “The Smoke” slows things down, creating a sound diversity. A careful listener will find some female backing vocals in “Same Flesh,” while “Brother Moon” will bring to mind “My Kantele” from one of the band’s best albums, Elegy. This song combines the clean guitar sound with melodic riffs that go along with another very good vocal performance. The album closes nicely with “Empty Opening,” proving that it was worth waiting three years for the band’s next musical step.
Eclipse is another album that comes to prove the fact that the cold weather and the long winter nights help the guys from the northern countries to create emotional and atmospheric Heavy Metal music that everyone should check out. Amorphis fans should acquire the album and be careful not to waste too much time making comparisons between the two voices and just enjoy and focus on the music.
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