Amorphis - Queen of Time (2018)

I do not know if I am beginning to get old and grumpy, but I have not found many records of high quality this year. 2018 so far has been disappointment after disappointment, with very few real highlights. Hopefully, it all might change now, since last week's releases did at least spark some interesting albums. No, I am not talking about the new 5FDP album, instead I want to focus on two other giants that just keeps on giving us some great music, one being death metal legends At The Gates delivering another face crusher in "To Drink The Night Away", and the other being the Finnish juggernaut Amorphis.

While Amorphis has never been one of my all time favourites, these lads have still produced quality work with each new record, and "Queen of Time", lucky number 13 for the band, is of course no exception. It is yet another Amorphis release that takes their patented brand of melodic folk death metal to new territories. Sure, it is not that much different from its predecessor, 2015's "Under The Red Cloud", but everything here feels more refined, perfected just a tad bit more to elevate it further.

With its 57 minutes divided into 10 songs (all between 4:50 to 6:40 minutes), "Queen of Time" certainly is a meaty record, but the flow is just so god damn fluent, it never feels tiring or stale. Amorphis does a good job in balancing all of the tracks, giving each and every one of the songs something that the listener can connect to, whether it be a catchy melody line, or an Anneke Van Giersbergen who pops up in "Amongst Stars". It also helps a lot that each song is of good quality, each one holding up on its own without any problem.

The performances are crisp as well, with the dual guitar attack of Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari as the show stoppers. Some of these riffs that they line up here are so addictive, and kind of unreal as well, like they should not be coming from a guitar. The opening riff of the opening track "The Bee" sets the bar, and it just gets lifted higher in "The Golden Elk", and "Wrong Direction", there are so many fantastic riffs and licks in here. Obviously, singer Tomi Joutsen deserves a shout out as well, ever since he joined the band in 2004 he has been flat out brilliant.

So this is just a wall to wall fantastic album, with no filler, all killer. The only remark I might have against it is that they could have used Anneke in a more interesting way in "Amongst Stars", and maybe put in one or two songs that were more different, to diversify the album even further, but that is just petty remarks for an album that is sure to be one of the front runners in the race for the number one spot of the year end lists. There are so many epic moments in here to fill the listener up easily, and it leaves a lasting impression on you. But do not stare at the album artwork for too long, or you might be able to see time itself and its frightening sight.

Songs worthy of recognition: Wrong Direction, The Bee, Daughter of Hate, The Golden Elk, We Accursed

Rating: 9,5/10 Grains of Sand

http://www.amorphis.net/
https://twitter.com/amorphis

More reviews of Amorphis
Circle

Amorphis - Circle (2013)

Finnish band Amorphis started out in 1990 as a death metal band, but has, slowly but surely, become more melodic and also introduced more modern segments into their music. I definitely felt that the transformation was more or less complete after their latest release, "The Beginning of Times", an album that I by the way find overrated. So when my speakers blasted through with the first song in this new album entitled "Circle", I was almost chocked to hear a heavy sound with a lot of growling which could mean that the band went back towards their roots

"Circle" is, without a doubt, a much darker album then its predecessor, mostly because the growling part of Tomi Joutsen's vocals takes up more space this time (but the main focus is still on the clean vocals). However, do not expect material that could be compared with Amorphis's early works. It is still the melodic and almost Gothic sound that makes up most of "Circle". The closest to something you will get from their first albums is the verses in "Shades of Gray" and most parts of "Nightbird's Song". Otherwise, it is the same old Amorphis that we have learned to know in recent days. Melodic, epic and emotional tunes that makes melodic metal lovers really happy.

One song that is instantly recognizable of the modern Amorphis is "Mission" with its melodic and low-key sound that probably will not make you head bang, but it still releases some good feelings inside your body. But we already know that the band know how to create these kinds of songs, so let us skip to the second half of the album, where things are starting to happen.

When "Hopeless Days" comes in and embraces you with its heavy riff, you better sit there and take it like a man, 'cause it is a very good song that shows some skills, but the chorus could have been improved so the track would be more memorable. After that, "Nightbird's Song" enters the stage and it is without a doubt the song that is closest to death metal. It is a demoniacal song where Joutsen shows his entire growling register and the rest of the band makes sure that the mood is just as it should be. The melody is still there, which works out pretty good for the song even though it takes a more anonymous part in that particular track. No matter what, "Nightbird's Song" gives "Circle" some much needed variation. The last notable song is "Enchanted By The Moon" that has some very interesting tempo shifting and some of the best guitar work in the album. Other songs in "Circle", like "Into The Abyss" and "Narrow Path", scratches my nerves and tries to get my attention, but they just do not have the same strength as some of the best songs on this record, which leads those songs into oblivion. If the band had found the time to put a little more effort into these songs, then "Circle" maybe could have been a smash hit. And one more thing, the bonus track and almost instrumental "His Story" is, according to me, unnecessary.

"Circle" is a enjoyable album, but it does not stand up against albums like "Skyforger" and "Eclipse". And just like with "The Beginning of Time", I find this album slightly overrated. There is nothing in "Circle" that we have not seen in previous Amorphis albums and the mediocre lyrics does not help to lift the album. They try to go back to their roots in some parts, but falls flat out in most parts. So good try Amorphis, but 2013 is certainly not your best year.

Songs worthy of recognition: Shades of Gray, Enchanted By The Moon, Nightbird's Song

Rating: 7/10 Missions

http://www.amorphis.net/
https://twitter.com/amorphis

More reviews of Amorphis

Queen of Time