It is funny how Amorphis gets all this negative feedback from their so-called fans. Most of them are unfortunately close-minded folks who won't accept anything different from the band's earlier melodic doom-death driven Tales from the Thousand Lakes. I don't see it. Contrary to bands like Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Tiamat or Ulver who also started out as extreme metal bands, Amorphis never went on to become a lousy electronic/goth act completely stripped off their integrity. It is hard to take any comment that says they have 'sold out' seriously when the music on Am Universum is deeply rooted in jazz harmonies and develops into powerful and Floydan psychedelic expression. It's one thing to dislike a band's change of musical direction, but it's a completely different matter to call them sell-outs just because they are actually exploring with deeper musical ideas.

I happen to like some of Tiamat and Ulver's newer material but think their earlier work is much better. As for Amorphis, while the Tales and Elegy era will probably appeal to me the best, I think their current style which is a culmination of a wide variety of genres is really successful. It is understandable that the fans on the extreme end of the equation may not like this, but the ones who appreciate musical growth and change combined with more powerful artistic expression and slightly progressive ingredients are bound to -- at least -- appreciate this CD, if not dig it completely.

Am Universum may be my favourite Amorphis album from the post-Elegy era of the band which signalled the change of their direction. While Tuonela was heavily folk-tinged, their last one, Far from the Sun displays their more modern and guitar-driven updated sound. Am Universum falls somewhere in between but is very heavily influenced by the 70's and particularly the keyboard work is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's psychedelic era. The song arrangements are strengthened with jazzy elements particularly in tracks such as "Crimson Wave", "Drifting Memories" and "Captured State". The addition of saxophone seems to have put so many fans off, but don't get it the wrong way. It is delicately placed in the mix and it never overpowers any other instrument. The keyboard work and guitar riffing is much more on jazz ground than the saxophone.

"Alone" is my personal favourite off this album and also one of the best Amorphis tunes ever penned in my opinion. The keyboard work that is thrown in the middle is a great homage to the 70's and puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it and the structure of the song refuses to give in and builds up with another beautiful chorus delivered flawlessly by Pasi and the tune closes with a soothing guitar solo that fades into layers of white noise. Simply brilliant. "Crimson Wave" is another perfect tune that brings the band's creative approach to the focus of the album displaying the rich harmonies buried within the composition which we can hear on any King Crimson release of the early 70's. The sometimes overlooked "Veil of Sin" is the secret gem of Am Universum. The emotional singing is central here with subtle keyboard and guitar work dancing around the vocals. Songs like "Goddes (of the Sad Man)" and "Forever More" are more straightforward tunes we heard on Far from the Sun with their direct approach, repetitive choruses and more updated guitar sound.

Overall Am Universum has a lot of substance. The guys have created a very full album without depending on any filler tracks. This is perhaps the most complex disc of their last three outputs and this may be one of the factors why it gets bashed so badly by some. I enjoy every single Amorphis album to one degree or another but Am Universum ranks a bit higher than most of their other CDs.

I never paid any attention to Amorphis until I saw the video for Alone on Muchmusic... that song is flawless. Delay and echo soaked guitars, innovative keyboards, and a driving drum beat. I bought Am Universum blind, based on that one song.

These guys could have extensive crossover appeal if afforded the opportunity. It's not necessarily metal but it ain't necessarily anything else either. Instead of clear cut riffs, Amorphis use exotic guitar licks, saxophones, and whatever they please in straightforward hard rock song structures... vocalist Pasi has an accessible voice and hooks to spare.

"Crimson Wave" is my favorite track... a monster power chord riff segues into smooth jazz sax. If you are a fan of Amorphis's previous work, just don't expect Thousand Lakes Pt. 2 and Am Universum shall rule ye world.

Regardless of how it compares to previous releases, this album stands as an honest and thoroughly enjoyable release from the Finnish quintet.

First things first; yes, this album is an aquired taste.

Alot of people have talked about how they dislike the use of the saxophone, but I have to say it's used perfectly here. The good thing about this cd is that it's neither forced nor withdrawn. It's powerful, but not agressive. It's moving, but not soft. Yes, this album may not appeal to you altogether, given the overall homogeny, but nevertheless this comes very highly recommended.

I suppose if I was an Amorphis fan from their early death metal days I would hate Am Universum like so many folks seem determined to do, but I didn't discover the band until I picked up this very album, so I have a different perspective.

There's no denying that Am Universum is pretty far removed from the days of

and

, but the absence of death metal growls is no reason to write off an album of this caliber. Amorphis has always been about innovation, pushing the boundaries of the traditional death metal sound and incorporating folk, psychedelic and progressive elements. I'll admit this album goes about as far towards the melodic and progressive side as it can and still be called metal, but as far as I'm concerned it works quite well. The guitars are still heavy, there are some amazing melodies, and the whole atmosphere of the album brings to mind something between Paradise Lost and Pink Floyd. I will admit that it is almost identical to the preceding album

, but that doesn't change the fact that it's still a good album.

If you can come into this album with an open mind, Am Universum should be a satisfying experience. Amorphis is a constantly evolving band, and I for one am happy to be along for the ride.

As a kid I owned this band's first album, THE KARELIAN ISTHMUS, on cassette, which is very straightforward European death metal, so when my friend Chris invited me to see Amorphis play live with Swedish death metal kings Opeth (at the I-Rock in Detroit), I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the evening held in store. Little did I know that Amorphis had switched their lineup and changed their sound drastically, and I was totally unprepared for the anthemic, atmospheric heavy rock that the band blasted out at the show, and while singer Pasi Koskinen had a silly "Jesus Christ Pose" complex onstage, I was totally hooked. So the next day I went out to buy an album, and I wasn't disappointed.

Am Universum isn't the first record to display Amorphis' tuneful new sound; that happened with 1996's ELEGY. I just picked this one because it had a few song titles I recognized from the show. Regardless, this is a very strong album which works as a great introduction to the band's current direction. The guitars in particular have shifted from their early years, and incorporate harmonics and acoustic folk, as well as massive hooks on the choruses. Standout songs include "Goddess of the Sad Man", where singer Koskinen rides a huge wave of hazy, atmospheric guitar work throughout, as well as the moody "Veil of Sin". On this record Amorphis took a lot of heat for incorporating warm saxophone work into several tracks, sounding for all the world like Kenny G joining a metal band, but I think it works rather nicely, and is unique and unexpected enough to be a boon rather than a detriment. "Veil of Sin" in particular opens with a jazzy sax solo and some ominous piano work, which rankled a lot of longtime fans who could accept the Scandinavian folk elements but apparently had their limits.

The Amorphis fans who jumped ship with ELEGY certainly aren't going to be lured back with this record, but for the rest of us there's a lot to enjoy here. "Grieve Stricken Heart", "Shatters Within" and "Crimson Wave", like the songs mentioned above, are all dynamic rockers with great singing, nuanced guitar work sweetened by European-sounding keyboards, and hooks large enough to anchor a boat. This is a very good album, and is totally worth your cash.