Amorphis complete new CD

[Novembers Paul]

Finland's AMORPHIS completed the final mix for their new album on Saturday, September 24 at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki with Mikko Karmila (who previously worked with the group on their "Am Universum" CD). The follow-up to last year's "Far from the Sun" was recorded at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki with engineer Nino Laurenne (THUNDERSTONE). The production duties were handled by the band and Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH) for vocals.

Commented bassist Niclas Etelävuori: "[The new CD is] atmospheric and heavy. Tomi Joutsen did a fantastic job on the vocals, he's doing clean vocals and growling like never before. We all feel very strong about this album; we can't wait for people to hear it."

The as-yet-untitled effort will be released worldwide in February 2006 by Nuclear Blast.


So it looks like a mixture between clean vocals and growls. I already know how Larry feels about this, but I'm quite happy the growling in Amorphis is back in the music!

 

[circus_brimstone]

So it looks like a mixture between clean vocals and growls. I already know how Larry feels about this, but I'm quite happy the growling in Amorphis is back in the music!

My thoughts parallel yours. I personally doubt they'll ever top Elegy, which is my favorite, but they can sure as hell top some of their more recent full-lengths. :hotjump:

 

[Billy Steele]

Either way, I expect this to be one of the best releases in 2006, next to Type O Negative and Moonspell's pending works.

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

I won't form any real judgement about any of it until I hear it, logically. I don't dislike growling vocals when they're done well. I didn't particularly think this guy's vocals were strong in the growling or clean department when we saw them live. I'm still a big fan of Pasi's vocals with Amorphis so it's going to take alot to win me over, but it's not an impossibility. Musicially I loved the riffs they were coming up with since Tuonela and on. The last cd was not as interesting as Tuonela and Am Universum but still decent. I just don't like when bands suddenly ten years later say, "Hey lets sound like our earlier albums again!" Because frankly, almost any time I can think of when that's happened, it's never turned out all that good, in my opinion. If the new Amorphis is a nice blend of old and new direction, that could be a good thing, so we'll see.

 

[FrostGiant]

I haven't picked up the latest yet, but I too enjoy what they did on Tuonelo and Am Universum. But I was never really anti growling in Amorphis.

 

[madu]

I haven't heard Am Universum and Far From the Sun (yet..?), but'd be awesome if they went back to Elegy-like. Too bad Pasi left the band Both his clean and harsh vocals are most excellent.

But yeah, another album to look forward to

 

[Jasonic]

I know I will get nailed to the cross for saying this, but I have NEVER heard Amorphis! Who would you guys compare them to?

Hey, I am a power metal guy who has recently discovered what I have been missing with doom.

Help a brotha out!

 

[madu]

The Karelian Isthmus and the Privilege of Evil EP are quite brutal death metal, at least to my ears. I suppose they could be compared to uh, Edge of Sanity? I don't know my death metal.

Tales From the Thousand Lakes is a lot more epic and doomy than those two - probably the best starter album. At least I got this one first. Somewhat similar to early MDB and Paradise Lost, not as depressing, though.

Elegy is a step in a new direction. It has been compared to Dan Swanö's Moontower, though I don't really see the similarity.. it's a lot proggier than the early albums, and there's clean vocals, too, by Ajattara's Pasi Koskinen, who will be the vocalist for the next 3 album onwards as well. Elegy is considered their best.

Tuonela is a prog-rock album, with Pasi handling 99% of the vocals, only one song has harsh vocals. A very good album, in my opinion, though completely different from the earlier Amorphis.

And I haven't heard Am Universum or Far From the Sun, but I suppose you should look into those 4/5 first.

 

[chupe666]

yeah, i'd agree with madu. i think Tales from the Thousand Lakes is one of their most popular death vox records; Elegy is the one right after that, in which they started getting a more 70s feel and incorporating the singing more. i think those two are pretty good places to start since you can go forward and backward in their discography depending on which style you like better.

 

[Jasonic]

Sounds like this band has had more style changes than Katatonia and Anathema combined!

 

[NvmbrsDoom5]

Sort of, perhaps. The thing about Amorphis is that through all of their changes, they still have an identifying sound to them. Mainly that is due to the fact that alot of the writing has consistently featured certain scales and influences from folk music. Plus I think the keyboards have alot of personality in that band too. The stylistic change in Amorphis was a bit more gradual than say a band like Katatonia, who took a couple of pretty big leaps there stylistically from album to album. Even though it's not my favorite of theirs (though it seems to be many other's favorite) I'd say starting with "Elegy" is probably a good choice for the reasons Eric mentioned. If you like the cleaner 70s heavy prog rock sound on there, then venture forward to albums like "Tuonela" and so on. If you prefer their heavier death metal moments, then venture backwards from there on with "Tales from the Thousand Lakes".