Following the announcement of their 15th studio album Borderland, Finnish metal icons, Amorphis, release the first single from their forthcoming opus today. “Light And Shadow”, which can also be interpreted as a metaphor of the album title in the sense of counter-play between two parties close to each other, wins over listeners right away with an uplifting piano intro, enriched by an electronic sound tapestry. As the song unfolds, it transforms into a driving, mythic anthem of self-discovery, a powerful reminder of why Amorphis remain unrivalled in crafting melancholic majesty.
Santeri Kallio, who wrote the music, adds: “I threw my brain into the closet and went with the flow – without stressing about opinions. I didn’t want to repeat the old nor copy what we’ve already done before. When I heard Tomi’s final vocal parts, I realised that ‘Light And Shadow’ would be the perfect introduction to our new album!”
Stream “Light And Shadow” here, and watch a lyric video below.
Arriving on September 26 via Reigning Phoenix Music, the group’s new album can be pre-ordered in a wide range of formats and pre-saved here.
Borderland will be available in the following formats:
– Ltd. box-set incl. CD, 2LP vinyl & additional excl. contents curated by the band
– Ltd. CD+2LP earbook
– Various ltd. coloured 2LP vinyl
– Digipak-CD
– Jewel case-CD
– Digital
Tracklisting:
“The Circle”
“Bones”
“Dancing Shadow”
“Fog To Fog”
“The Strange”
“Tempest”
“Light And Shadow”
“The Lantern”
“Borderland”
“Despair”
“War Band” [Bonus Track] (digipak-CD & vinyl only!)
“Rowan And The Cloud” [Bonus Track] (digipak-CD & vinyl only!)
“Light And Shadow” lyric video:
After recording four albums in a row in Sweden, Hansen Studios (Jacob Hansen, Denmark; Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear, etc.) were the destination of choice in late 2024 and early 2025. The album artwork was designed by Dutch artist Marald Van Haasteren (Metallica, Black Sabbath, Kvelertak, Alcest, etc.) this time.
Besides newly collaborating with Hansen and Van Haasteren, Amorphis still rely on the lyrical craftsmanship of Pekka Kainulainen, who’s been courageously writing for the band since their 2007 offering Silent Waters. About his inspiration for Borderland, Kainulainen comments: “The generations that came here before us, our ancestors, also had to face death and destruction. Honouring the mythologies of mankind, as well as the listeners of Amorphis, I wrote lyrics that hopefully convey some of the humility and strength that mankind has always depended on.”
With Borderland, the title of the album couldn’t have been chosen more fittingly. Throughout their career, spanning over more than three decades, Amorphis – Tomi Joutsen (vocals), Esa Holopainen (guitars), Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Olli-Pekka Laine (bass), Santeri Kallio (keyboards) & Jan Rechberger (drums & percussion) – have been an ever-evolving act, wandering on an exciting boundary-pushing path. From their sinister death metal debut Karelian Isthmus over genre-defining mid-90s melodic death works like Tales From The Thousand Lakes and Elegy as well as the melodic 2000’s grandeur of Eclipse or Skyforger to records combining the very best of all prior eras to refreshing new soundscapes (f.e. Under The Red Cloud or Queen Of Time): Whatever this group works on promises long-range success.
With 2022’s Halo, the Finn’s were rewarded for their researching musical approach once again: The album marked Amorphis’ sixth no. 1 album in Finland, even cracked the top 3 of the official German album chart, and last but not least the sextet took home two awards from the prestigious Emma Gaala (“Band of the Year” & “Export of the Year”).
The impact of Halo became a driving force for what’s to come. Rather than rushing into a follow-up, the band chose to step back from live performances and focus fully on their next chapter. The result is Borderland – a meticulously crafted opus that builds on their celebrated recent era, while seamlessly weaving in new, timely elements. It’s a bold, organic continuation of their journey, shaped by experience and guided by vision.
Amorphis’ forthcoming album will be released in time for a massive headline tour in their home country as well as a trip as part of an arena-filling package with Arch Enemy, Eluveitie and Gatecreeper, kicking off in Stuttgart, Germany on October 10.
All dates & ticket info can be found here.
(Photo – Sam Jamsen)
Did you know BraveWords has an active Facebook Group where you can start your own metal discussion or take part in many other discussions. The BraveWords Facebook Group is the evolution of the old BraveWords message board from years ago.
Bands… feel free to promote your shows and albums.
Podcasts… feel free to promote your new episodes.
Radio Shows… feel free to promote your latest show.
Record Labels… feel free to promote your latest releases
Click to join and start discussing: https://m.facebook.com/groups/bravewordsmetal/
The post AMORPHIS Unveil Lyric Video For New Single “Light And Shadow”; Borderland Album Pre-Order Available appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
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Santeri Kallio, who wrote the music, adds: “I threw my brain into the closet and went with the flow – without stressing about opinions. I didn’t want to repeat the old nor copy what we’ve already done before. When I heard Tomi’s final vocal parts, I realised that ‘Light And Shadow’ would be the perfect introduction to our new album!”
Stream “Light And Shadow” here, and watch a lyric video below.
Arriving on September 26 via Reigning Phoenix Music, the group’s new album can be pre-ordered in a wide range of formats and pre-saved here.
Borderland will be available in the following formats:
– Ltd. box-set incl. CD, 2LP vinyl & additional excl. contents curated by the band
– Ltd. CD+2LP earbook
– Various ltd. coloured 2LP vinyl
– Digipak-CD
– Jewel case-CD
– Digital
Tracklisting:
“The Circle”
“Bones”
“Dancing Shadow”
“Fog To Fog”
“The Strange”
“Tempest”
“Light And Shadow”
“The Lantern”
“Borderland”
“Despair”
“War Band” [Bonus Track] (digipak-CD & vinyl only!)
“Rowan And The Cloud” [Bonus Track] (digipak-CD & vinyl only!)
“Light And Shadow” lyric video:
After recording four albums in a row in Sweden, Hansen Studios (Jacob Hansen, Denmark; Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear, etc.) were the destination of choice in late 2024 and early 2025. The album artwork was designed by Dutch artist Marald Van Haasteren (Metallica, Black Sabbath, Kvelertak, Alcest, etc.) this time.
Besides newly collaborating with Hansen and Van Haasteren, Amorphis still rely on the lyrical craftsmanship of Pekka Kainulainen, who’s been courageously writing for the band since their 2007 offering Silent Waters. About his inspiration for Borderland, Kainulainen comments: “The generations that came here before us, our ancestors, also had to face death and destruction. Honouring the mythologies of mankind, as well as the listeners of Amorphis, I wrote lyrics that hopefully convey some of the humility and strength that mankind has always depended on.”
With Borderland, the title of the album couldn’t have been chosen more fittingly. Throughout their career, spanning over more than three decades, Amorphis – Tomi Joutsen (vocals), Esa Holopainen (guitars), Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Olli-Pekka Laine (bass), Santeri Kallio (keyboards) & Jan Rechberger (drums & percussion) – have been an ever-evolving act, wandering on an exciting boundary-pushing path. From their sinister death metal debut Karelian Isthmus over genre-defining mid-90s melodic death works like Tales From The Thousand Lakes and Elegy as well as the melodic 2000’s grandeur of Eclipse or Skyforger to records combining the very best of all prior eras to refreshing new soundscapes (f.e. Under The Red Cloud or Queen Of Time): Whatever this group works on promises long-range success.
With 2022’s Halo, the Finn’s were rewarded for their researching musical approach once again: The album marked Amorphis’ sixth no. 1 album in Finland, even cracked the top 3 of the official German album chart, and last but not least the sextet took home two awards from the prestigious Emma Gaala (“Band of the Year” & “Export of the Year”).
The impact of Halo became a driving force for what’s to come. Rather than rushing into a follow-up, the band chose to step back from live performances and focus fully on their next chapter. The result is Borderland – a meticulously crafted opus that builds on their celebrated recent era, while seamlessly weaving in new, timely elements. It’s a bold, organic continuation of their journey, shaped by experience and guided by vision.
Amorphis’ forthcoming album will be released in time for a massive headline tour in their home country as well as a trip as part of an arena-filling package with Arch Enemy, Eluveitie and Gatecreeper, kicking off in Stuttgart, Germany on October 10.
All dates & ticket info can be found here.
(Photo – Sam Jamsen)
Did you know BraveWords has an active Facebook Group where you can start your own metal discussion or take part in many other discussions. The BraveWords Facebook Group is the evolution of the old BraveWords message board from years ago.
Bands… feel free to promote your shows and albums.
Podcasts… feel free to promote your new episodes.
Radio Shows… feel free to promote your latest show.
Record Labels… feel free to promote your latest releases
Click to join and start discussing: https://m.facebook.com/groups/bravewordsmetal/
The post AMORPHIS Unveil Lyric Video For New Single “Light And Shadow”; Borderland Album Pre-Order Available appeared first on BraveWords - Where Music Lives.
Continue reading...
