Amorphis – Silent Waters
Nuclear Blast – NB 1881-2 – September 11, 2007
By Wayward_Son
Amorphis’ Tales From the Thousand Lakes was this writer’s first death metal album. To this day it is still a favorite. So it goes without saying that this Finnish band holds a special place in this dark heart. Around the time of Tuonela, the band started losing this fan. While hardly a disappointment, these tastes were going in the opposite direction (towards black metal) of Amorphis, who decided to head into more ear-friendly territory with Am Universum. Amorphis and this writer lost each other. Until the powers that be sent Silent Waters to the shores of this humid state.
Silent Waters has reaffirmed the faith that was lost nearly a decade ago. Sure it is no Tales From the Thousand Lakes, The Karelian Isthmus or even Elegy, but it is not trying to be those classics. However, Silent Waters is able to channel the spirit of those early releases into the band’s melodic progressive metal style. Amorphis sound as if they like playing this type of music again. Finally, the band has the depth, breadth, and bright soul they possessed back in the mid 1990’s.
When this writer left Amorphis, Pasi Koskinen was still the vocalist. Never fully accepting him, as his range and style left something to be desired, he did make Elegy better with his performance. Now it seems the band have Tomi Joutsen on vocals for the second time around. This guy is breath of much needed fresh air. Granted, this opinion comes strictly based on Silent Waters, but it sounds like this is what the band needed, as they sound re-energized with their instruments. The return of the more aggressive vocals is all the band had to do to get this writer interested again. They meld so perfectly with the bands progressive style.
As for the songs, it is hard to pick out highlights, as the album flows smoothly from one song to another. Amorphis finally figured out how to write catchy, melodic songs while still retaining that metal bite that lends the band their power. The use of keyboards is subtle, yet effective, especially the piano sounds such as in ’I of Crimson Blood’, one of the album’s best tracks. The choruses in ’Weaving the Incantation’, ’A Servant’, the title track, and ’Her Alone’ show how far (back) the band have come. Sure, not every song is perfect, but the good certainly outshines the bad or average.
This writer knows he is late to Amorphis’ supposed comeback from last year. Still, it is special to see a band who holds such a crucial part of one’s musical development to have regained the soul and inspiration that made you a fan in the first place. Silent Waters comes highly recommended to all those who once loved this band, but jumped ship back in the 1990’s. All you fans of the current stuff already have the album, so this review is pointless. Amorphis and this fan have found each other.
Offical Amorphis Website
Offical Nuclear Blast Records Website
Nuclear Blast – NB 1881-2 – September 11, 2007
By Wayward_Son
Amorphis’ Tales From the Thousand Lakes was this writer’s first death metal album. To this day it is still a favorite. So it goes without saying that this Finnish band holds a special place in this dark heart. Around the time of Tuonela, the band started losing this fan. While hardly a disappointment, these tastes were going in the opposite direction (towards black metal) of Amorphis, who decided to head into more ear-friendly territory with Am Universum. Amorphis and this writer lost each other. Until the powers that be sent Silent Waters to the shores of this humid state.
Silent Waters has reaffirmed the faith that was lost nearly a decade ago. Sure it is no Tales From the Thousand Lakes, The Karelian Isthmus or even Elegy, but it is not trying to be those classics. However, Silent Waters is able to channel the spirit of those early releases into the band’s melodic progressive metal style. Amorphis sound as if they like playing this type of music again. Finally, the band has the depth, breadth, and bright soul they possessed back in the mid 1990’s.
When this writer left Amorphis, Pasi Koskinen was still the vocalist. Never fully accepting him, as his range and style left something to be desired, he did make Elegy better with his performance. Now it seems the band have Tomi Joutsen on vocals for the second time around. This guy is breath of much needed fresh air. Granted, this opinion comes strictly based on Silent Waters, but it sounds like this is what the band needed, as they sound re-energized with their instruments. The return of the more aggressive vocals is all the band had to do to get this writer interested again. They meld so perfectly with the bands progressive style.
As for the songs, it is hard to pick out highlights, as the album flows smoothly from one song to another. Amorphis finally figured out how to write catchy, melodic songs while still retaining that metal bite that lends the band their power. The use of keyboards is subtle, yet effective, especially the piano sounds such as in ’I of Crimson Blood’, one of the album’s best tracks. The choruses in ’Weaving the Incantation’, ’A Servant’, the title track, and ’Her Alone’ show how far (back) the band have come. Sure, not every song is perfect, but the good certainly outshines the bad or average.
This writer knows he is late to Amorphis’ supposed comeback from last year. Still, it is special to see a band who holds such a crucial part of one’s musical development to have regained the soul and inspiration that made you a fan in the first place. Silent Waters comes highly recommended to all those who once loved this band, but jumped ship back in the 1990’s. All you fans of the current stuff already have the album, so this review is pointless. Amorphis and this fan have found each other.
Offical Amorphis Website
Offical Nuclear Blast Records Website
