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August 29, 2008 |
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01. Two Moons
02. House Of Sleep
03. Leaves Scar
04. Born From Fire
05. Under A Soil And Black Stone
06. Perkele (The God Of Fire)
07. The Smoke
08. Same Flesh
09. Brother Moon
10. Empty Opening
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I can honestly say that if it weren’t for Finland's AMORPHIS, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here writing right now. Like a lot of suburban kids in rural Ontario I grew up viewing "Metal" purely through contextual lenses defined by denim 'n leather-coloured shades of MAIDEN, PRIEST, SABBATH, AC/DC, and later the classic "Big Four" of ANTHRAX, MEGADETH, METALLICA, and SLAYER. Back then I thought SEPULTURA were probably just about the heaviest thing on earth and was completely ignorant of and oblivious to, the wider world of Metallic treasures that awaited discovery just outside of my then very narrow horizons. It wasn't until 1995, and my viewing of a little video/track by the name of "Black Winter Day" from an album entitled "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" that my eyes suddenly opened wide with amazement, and the proverbial floodgates opened as I began to seek out everything from CARCASS, to DISMEMBER, to EMPEROR, IMMORTAL, DIMMU BORGIR, CATHEDRAL, OPETH...and beyond. So as a somewhat lengthy preamble to the meat and potatoes of this review, I feel obligated to say "Thank you" to AMORPHIS, for serving as a musical Metallic catalyst that has expanded and inspired my Metal horizons to the farthest uncharted shores.
And truly, what better sentiment to express the kind of musical aesthetic this perennially inventive, innovative, and experimental act has displayed throughout an ever-shifting and expanding catalogue of work now well over a decade in length, with some ten critically acclaimed releases to their credit? Never ones to sit creatively idle, AMORPHIS (Tomi Joutsen - vox, Esa Holopainen - guitars, Tomi Koivusaari - guitars, Niclas Etelavuori - bass, Santeri Kallio - keyboards, and the returning Jan Rechberger - drums) have always made a point of never delivering the same musical platter twice in a row, rather, in some sort of weird Metallic-JETHRO-TULL/PINK-FLOYD fashion opting to always present an evolving palette of sound and colour that has taken them on a journey from very humble Death/Grind origins through the arguable inception and creation of the Melodic Death Metal subgenre, through Progressive, Ambient, and even straight-up Rock 'n Roll soundscapes; ever tweaking and twisting that core, almost intangible, yet ever so tangible and recognizable base "AMORPHIS sound" enough for the material to be instantly recognizable as their own, yet always possessive of an originality that creates rather than follows any sort of established trend or existing musical template.
With "Eclipse", the band's tenth release, and first for Nuclear Blast, AMORPHIS have opted for an approach which simultaneously takes them yet further forward while also referencing their past with tasteful aplomb. Thematically, "Eclipse" once again sees the band returning to The Kalevala (the Finnish national Folk anthem) for lyrical inspiration, focusing in particular upon a particular section - "The Tragedy Of Kullervo" - as the conceptual centerpiece of the album. Musically, the album can best be described as a combination of some of the best elements of the AMORPHIS catalogue to date, fusing melodic, Progressive Rock/Metal with alternating clean and - yes, for all of you slavering "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" fans - GROWLING Death metal vocals c/o new throat and frontman Tomi Joutsen who does an excellent job of echoing the vocal prowess of both ex-singer Pasi Koskinen (now focusing on AJATTARA), as well as retired singer/present stringsman Koivusaari. In other words, for simplicity's sake, longtime AMORPHIS fans will doubtless agree that "Eclipse" marks a conscious synthesis of the best influences taken from "Elegy", and "Tuonela"/"Am Universum".
In many ways one senses that Joutsen has helped to breathe a new life and vitality into the band who were arguably just beginning to show signs of treading water somewhat on previous release "Far From The Sun" which betrayed a certain..."staleness". Here AMORPHIS sound not only rejuvenated and reinvigorated, but also reenergized as songs take on a subtle, yet very tangible life, and bouncy vitality not heard form this act in some time. Faves would include opener "Two Moons" marked by eclectic Progressive keyboards which quickly evolve into a classic AMORPHIS structure/construct that segues nicely into the melancholy "House Of Sleep". Then there's the aggressive, heavy riff-house of "Perkele (The God Of Fire)", the exquisite, gorgeous "Brother Moon", and personal highlight "The Smoke", an addictively hooky, heroically galloping, and so-evocative-of- "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" masterpiece it ain't even funny! This track is so beautiful that I just wanna cry every time I hear it.
"Eclipse" is AMORPHIS with the autopilot button turned firmly OFF. This still relatively young band are obviously in the prime of their collective career, and still after already accomplishing arguably more in their decade-long existence than some older acts have in twice the time, as enthusiastic and hungry as the day they started. If the album displays any faults at all, it would perhaps be the inclusion of certain tracks which, while "good", are not "great" and thus hamper the overall flow of the finished piece (i.e. unnecessary bonus track "Stone Woman" by example), as well as a tendency in some sections for the band's love of Progressive wankery to last juuuussst a tad longer than necessary when perhaps more Metallic immediacy is what the ear-doctor really ordered. Otherwise, consider this release a triumph, and perhaps even something of a new beginning for a band who have never - regardless of subjective general opinion towards individual releases - offered anything less than the very best in terms of originality, creativity, and an admirable lead-not-follow musical aesthetic that has rewarded us all with some of the finest Metal and Progressive Rock to grace many a stereo system worldwide.AMORPHIS are back, and here they prove that their blazing black sun of musical Metal magic still continues to "Eclipse" the competition.
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