Amorphis Skyforger
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
“Pretty freakin’ good…” was one of the comments made about the new album Skyforger by veteran Finnish prog-rockers Amorphis. Definitely an understatement…
Skyforger is a very strong album filled with the many audio trademarks of Amorphis – a bit progressive, a bit mystical, a bit death metal, but always melodic and musical. Based on Finnish epic mythology (as is their tradition), Amorphis tells the story of Ilmarinen, one of the central characters of the Kalevala poem cycle.
The Kalevala is a story based on Finnish folklore and is considered to be both the national epic of Finland and one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. Seppo Ilmarinen, a heroic inventor and blacksmith, crafted the sky dome, the Sampo (a magical item that brought good fortune to its holder), and other epic constructs. In the poetic cycle, the Sampo is stolen and Ilmarinen has many grand adventures as he tries to recover it.
Founded in 1990, Amorphis has made an epic journey of its own, transitioning from a pure death metal band to a progressive metal storyteller. Despite a long history and a number of personnel changes, the unique Amorphis sound has been consistent – soaring, leaping riffs combined with neat and powerful guitars and atmospheric keyboard passages, resulting in a very tight and focused release. The current lineup is Tomi Joutsen (vocals), Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Santeri Kallio (keyboards), Niclas Etelävuori (bass), and Jan Rechberger (drums). The lyrics of Skyforger were co-written by Finnish poet Pekka Kainulainen and translated to English by Erkki Virta, both of whom have worked with the band before.
The CD opens with “Sampo,” a smooth and powerful song with a great keyboard introduction, rolling bass line and catchy chorus. “Silver Bride” slows the pace and shows the talent of all band members. Another fabulous keyboard piece opens “From The Heaven Of My Heart”, one of the highlights of the album. It is a slower song, and really gives vocalist Tomi Joutsen a chance to shine. Joutsen has a wonderful, almost soothing voice when he sings “clean,” and a real death metal roar when he chooses to use it. Unlike some singers, he doesn’t rely on the roar as a crutch and overuse it – it is simply a normal part of his singing and doesn’t dominate the music.
“Sky Is Mine” is a very kicky upbeat song and contrasts nicely with the following track – the moody and ultra-heavy “Majestic Beast”. “My Sun” and “Highest Star” are slower, mellower pieces, with the latter having a fantastic opening synth riff. “Skyforger” is a solid track that brings the power level up again, and leads nicely into the very riffy “Course Of Fate.” The album wraps up very well with “From Earth I Rose.” The finale has a great bouncy bass line, some excellent vocals and the strongest guitar solos on the disc.
The production and engineering are top quality, and shows that Amorphis is a veteran band. They know exactly what they want, and are able to get a clean, clear and consistent sound that allows the musical talents of each member to shine without overshadowing the other.
All in all, Skyforger is probably the strongest Amorphis album yet. “Pretty freakin’ good,” nah. Try “Pretty freakin’ AWESOME”…
Label: Nuclear Blast
Web: http://www.amorphis.net/, http://www.nuclearblast.de/, http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/
Track Listing:
01. Sampo
02. Silver Bride
03. From The Heaven Of My Heart
04. Sky Is Mine
05. Majestic Beast
06. My Sun
07. Highest Star
08. Skyforger
09. Course Of Fate
10. From Earth I Rose
HRH Rating: 9/10