Tuonela
AMORPHIS

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since Amorphis released 'Elegy' - a lot of things have changed, and so (fortunately) have Amorphis.

With the exception of one track, all the vocals are clean, and the guitars take a more prominent place.

However, the characteristic Amorphis sound and feel are still very evident, in particular the folklore elements.

Harder and heavier than the last album, Tuonela is possibly the band's best album so far, and certainly one which should also win them some new fans.

It is, of course, trendy to knock bands who move away from their roots, shouting "sell out, sell out" (see what was written and said about Tiamat, Paradise Lost, Anathema etc.), to which I say bollocks - a rehashed version of "Elegy" or even "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" would have been stagnation, whereas this is a change for the better.

(Relapse Records 27361 63822)
Website : http://www.relapse.com
Review by Neil Gallop
nga@software-ag.de

Terms associated with this band often involve "groundbreaking," "visionary," "progressive…" and so forth.

And while they accurately depict the body of Amorphis' work throughout the years, certain limitations shall befall even their expectation-defying recourse.

Eons removed from their "Black Winter" days, the Finnish craftsman have indeed broken new ground in transcending the boundaries of Heavy Metal into previously uncharted terrain into the evocatively expressive class of free-thinking musical heights.

"Am Universum" is the next wave of their seemingly limitless future, building on the broad textures, and rich melodies previously brought about on such titles as "Elegy" and the widely acclaimed "Tuonela."

But even Amorphis must realize the degree of sacrifice that exists in order to continually evolve as they have. While much of "Am Universum" is in fact a continuation of "Tuonela," which was a continuation of "Elegy" and more specifically the progressive nature of the "My Kantele" EP, it falls short not of expectation but of the "groundbreaking" acclaim that's been synonymous with their ongoing development.

While membership changes have been as constant as their forward looking musical statements, "Am Universum" is not in fact their strongest release, nor will it set a new musical standard for their many contemporaries to bask in.

And that's not to undercut the bands talent and knack for writing enlightening music, it has more to do with them reaching their apparent peak with "Tuonela."

That album was a perfect balance of strength and harmony with enough emotive and traditional characteristics to rank as the true class of an ever broadening genre of music they stood at the forefront of for so long.

"Am Universum" sounds too contrived, even for all of its memorable moments and depth of song writing-"Alone," "Goddess (of the Sad Man)," "Shatters Within," "Grieve Stricken Heart"- there's a very hollow sound that emanates from within.

The songwriting growth is still apparent but some of the material comes off as frail and subtle… too often the musical dynamics are missing sometimes leaving an empty afterthought where an impressive scale run or extra choral boost might've worked better.

To be sure, this is not a Pop record nor does it borrow from any of the fixed trends from recent years, instead staying the course that's been wholly their own which is admirable in itself… but for all the dignity and grace with which they compose, the unpredictability and ambition seems to have gotten lost amongst dreary chorus lines, and sluggish structural developments.

A top notch Rock record for most anyone else; for Amorphis, considering where they've been, where they've headed and the heights they've climbed, it's a decent record… expectations have been met.

Released by Relapse Records
Website : http://www.relapse.com

Review by Vinnie Apicella [va85@columbia.edu]
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METAL STORM PRODUCTIONS
Vinnie Apicella P.O. Box 763 Brewster, NY 10509 845-669-9470