AMORPHIS - Eclipse

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Amorphis has had an interesting musical journey...

They are credited at being one of the originators of Melodic Death Metal with their albums, `The Karelian Isthmus' (1992) and `Tales from the Thousand Lakes' (1994). They began the blending of Singing with their abrasive vocals on (What most would call) their masterpiece, `Elegy' (1996). Losing the growls the band released a very different, yet still intriguing album in 1999 titled Tuonela. Blending Prog, Hard-Rock, with a more traditional Folk style... Sadly the new millennium was not as kind to Amorphis. `Am Universum' (2000) was alright but really just not the `Amorphis' that people had come to know... 2003's `Far From the Sun' was decent, but more of a straight-forward rock album. Shortly after this album long time vocalist Pasi Koskinen, left the band... he was replaced by Tomi Joutsen.

This brings us to 2006, and the release of `Eclipse', which is their strongest release since Elegy...

-Eclipse opens with Two Moons which is a perfect intro... Some fancy keyboard work which is pushed by powerful, driving guitars. The second, Tomi's voice comes in all my `new vocalist' worries were washed away... His combination of aggressive hard-rock vocals with his haunting singing voice is a perfect balance. The bass and drum work, as always is exceptionally tight.

-Track two, House of Sleep is the finest rock song I have heard in years... this song is simply fantastic. With no pun intended this song eclipses any of Amorphis's previous attempts at catchy, hard-rock. The piano work during the last minute is outstanding.

-Leaves Scar, is a return to the days of Elegy... combining some well executed growls with some nice singing. The guitar work on this track shines back to the Thousand Lakes days... This song has a big Folk vibe... Very cool.

-The fourth song is Born from Fire, a solid track, although compared to the first four tracks it just seems good and not great. However it has an incredible guitar solo...

-Under a Soil and Black Stone, is perfectly placed at track five. An emotive piece with some great piano work during the intro... the song builds really nicely, growing heavier and climaxing with a fantastic guitar solo. The song then closes back out with the piano and fades into...

-Perkele (The God of Fire), which is a pure tour de force... The vocals, play really well between the death growls and the clean singing. This song is a big plus for fans from the Thousand Lakes era.

-Track seven is, The Smoke, a solid track overall... just nothing particular outstanding.

-The progressive sounding, Same Flesh follows... The rhythm section shines on this track... dishing out a powerful back-drop for the guitars and vocals.

-Track nine is the folk-driven Brother Moon... another fantastic track. This song is so musically precise, I love the intricate drum work.

-The closer is the beautiful Empty Opening, a stunning track which perfectly closes out the album.

-And finally, just when you thought the CD was over they unleash the Secret song, [Track 11] Stone Woman.

A nice bonus to have... Another rocking track.

Conclusion...

It is in the Top 3 of 2006 thus far... Fantastic Musicianship, Excellent Vocals, and an album that just plain kicks ass!!!

Favorite Songs: House of Sleep, Leaves Scar, Under a Soil and Black Stone, Two Moons and Same Flesh.

-5 Stars

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I have been a fan of Amorphis since Tales From the Thousand Lakes changed the way I saw music. That album still remains my favorite. However, after a few attempts at a more "mellow" Amorphis, the group has come back with a new lead singer (Pasi, you will be missed for your contributions). But Tomi brings the band into what the band truly stands for - ever changing.

Eclipse is the best surprise I have heard from this group in about 6 years. It moves back to the roots of the band - incorperation of doom metal and melodies that only this band could pull off. For the death metal fan the growls are back and done very well. For followers of the newer Amorphis, the singing is not in the least bit dissapointing. Every song is a reawakening to this group, if you have never heard of these guys this is a wonderful first album to pick up.... An absolute masterpiece!

It's difficult to change vocalists and retain the same following, but Amorphis have achieved it. Eclipse is the third chapter in Amorphis' career. When they first started out, guitarist Tomi Koivusaari sang and played the guitar. Then came their amazing second singer Pasi Koskinen, stepping in for their Elegy masterpiece, with both clean and death vocals. The band released a string of successful albums with Koskinen until 2004's Far from the Sun, where they not only abandoned their folky roots and psychedelic backdrop, but also took on a relatively more modern sound. The album was criticised severely by the band's fanbase and led to the departure of Pasi Koskinen who perhaps couldn't summon the necessary inspiration anymore.

Enter Sinisthra vocalist Tomi Joutsen, hence the third chapter of the band. Not only is Eclipse a perfect return to form, it also marks the release of their heaviest album since 1996's Elegy. Joutsen is an absolutely stunning vocalist, with so much power and emotion in his delivery. Most fans, myself included, thought it impossible to fill Koskinen's shoes, but the impossible has happened. Considering the songs on this album, Joutsen seems like a much better fit than Koskinen would ever have. Repeat listens reveal Amorphis harkened back to their previous albums, combining the best sides of Elegy, Tuonela, and Am Universum. The album kicks off with the powerful "Two Moons", showcasing a very strong vocal performance and plenty of proggy keyboard lines. The piece has a strange Elegy feel to it, moreso sonically than musically. With "Leaves Scar", a song that opens with a folky acoustic intro, the band plays out some great rhythmic grooves, utilising fierce death growls and harmonised back-up singing. Some of the melodies, like the one on "Born from Fire", are the band's strongest in a long time. Both catchy and intense, this song sounds like a heavier leftover from the Tuonela sessions, except with more throaty vocals. There is a nice piano interlude in the middle that repeats the said melody which is then replaced by a terrific guitar lead.

Two songs particularly stand out as catchier and more straightforward than before, especially by Amorphis' standards. "House of Sleep" is very much like a Sentenced song circa Crimson where they were at their most melodic (and relatively less mainstream compared to the two albums they followed it up with). Even Toni Joutsen sings like Ville Laihiala did here employing an utterly engaging chorus along the way, until the breaking point where Amorphis makes the piece their own with the arrival of a nice piano and synth lead respectively. Much like "House of Sleep", the closing track "Empty Opening" features a very Sentenced-like chorus, only darker and more aggressive. This wouldn't seem too out of place on Frozen, easily their darkest and most suicidal release.

Those who've been expecting a more psychedelic album a la Elegy will be very pleased with "Under A Soil and Black Stone", a song highlighted by odd sound effects, whilst those looking for a more Tales from the Thousand Lakes vibe should enjoy "The Smoke" for its haunting death growls and "Brother Moon" for its folk meets prog meets death metal approach. This is quite possibly the most progressive song on the album, along with "Same Flesh", a piece with blazing organ leads and interesting backing harmonies.

Amorphis have returned with one of their strongest albums to date. This could be their best since Elegy or their more folk-laden work Tuonela.

This album is my preliminary pick for the best album of 2006. I, like many a metal fan, was under the impression that Amorphis was washed up based on their last two offerings. However, they have definitely proved me along with the other critics wrong. Monolithic slabs of melody pervade throughout the album, and there is excellent interplay of "clean" and "death" vocals. "Eclipse" is easily the best and most consistent Amorphis album since "Elegy"; simply, it rocks.

I had heard of Finland's Amorphis for years, and had often heard them described as one of the originators of melodic death metal, as well as being a band who likes to experiment with folk, '70s-style progressive elements, and other "non-metal" stylistic devices. I also had read quite a few reviews indicating that they were all over the map depeding on which album you listened to, which is fairly common for bands who like to experiment with their sound...

After listening to some samples of this incredible album, I had to pick it up on amazon, and I highly recommend this release to any fan of either metal or prog-rock; so well does this Finnish band straddle the line between the two without sounding contrived. Using both melodic vocals as well as a "gruff" death-metal style, sophisticated arrangements incorporating folk and world music and the progressive tendencies of such bands as Pink Floyd or Porcupine Tree, as well as modern metal and rock, this album is absorbing and addictive from start to finish. Lyrically, they also manage to be quite poetic and interesting. I'm off to pick up the new release from this band and explore their back catalog....highly recommended!