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Amorphis - Circle

Published April 10 2013


*
=Staff's pick

Shades Of Gray
Mission*
The Wanderer*
Narrow Path*
Hopeless Days
Nightbird's Song*
Into The Abyss
Enchanted By The Moon
A New Day


Genre Heavy Metal
Tomi Joutsen
Vocals
Tracks 9
Esa Holopainen
Guitar
Running time 46 Min.
Tomi Koivusaari
Guitar
Label Nuclear Blast
Niclas Etelävuori
Bass
Release 17 April 2013
Jan Rechberger
Drums
Country Finland
Santeri Kallio
Keyboard
Producer Peter Tägtgren
Similar artists Sentenced, Paradise Lost

Amorphis now release their eleventh studio album and frankly, I haven't listened to this band since the records Am Universum and Far From The Sun about a decade ago, so I had no idea what to expect out of this new release. From what I remember, I hear many clear similarities with these older records, yet with Circle, it's like starting my Amorphis experience all over again.

It's not that easy to categorize and put a label on Amorphis' music. It's all from heavy metal with elements of folk metal, to doomy parts, a few lighter or melodic death metal moments and all the way to symphonic rock. All this executed with and surrounded by primitive Finnish melancholy. Despite these differences, there's a straight line throughout the record, making it musically genuine as a whole.

Many choruses are rather smooth and catchy with a distinct coldness and the verses are filled with guitar and keyboard leads, immersed in a darker aura. The vocals from Tomi Joutsen are passionate, embracing and empathic, well balanced for this unit. Although the lyrical contents aren't uplifting, this band finds ways out of the darkness with harmonic melodies.

This album turns out greater for every single time I listen to it, as I find more nuances for my mind to build this album to a solid piece of art. I curse myself for giving up on them so easy before. Now I will have a hard time catching up, but it's something that's got to be done and I truly hope that their latest albums are just as solid as Circle is.

See also review of: Eclipse

Performance
Originality
Production
Vocals
Songwriting

7

6

7

7

8

 
Summary



8 chalices of 10 - Tobbe


Related links:

www.amorphis.net
www.myspace.com/amorphis
www.facebook.com/amorphis