UMUR "The Karelian Isthmus" is the debut full-length studio album by Finnish death metal act Amorphis. The album was released through Relapse Records in November 1992. Amorphis was formed by former members of speed metal act Violent Solution and death metal act Abhorrence. Shortly after their formation, Amorphis recorded a studio demo (which was later released as the "Privilege of Evil (1993)" EP), which was send to Relapse Records. or actually Relapse Records had written to lead vocalist/guitarist Tomi Koivusaari to offer Abhorrence a record contract, but as that band wasn´t active anymore Amorphis included a copy of their studio demo in the return letter to Relapse Records and it got them signed to the label. Several of the tracks from the studio demo was re-recorded for "The Karelian Isthmus".

The music on the album is old school Scandinavian death metal with a melodic doomy touch. It reminds me slightly of early Paradise Lost but early releases by Swedish acts like Cemetary and Tiamat also come to mind. Already on their next album, Amorphis would include strong folk/ethnic elements in their music and while they are not as strong on "The Karelian Isthmus", those elements are present here too. All tracks are of a decent quality and the musicianship is impeccable, but the songs don´t stand out enough from each other. The result is that you don´t remember the tracks after the album is over. I thought it was maybe a matter of listening to the album a couple of more times, but nothing has changed in that department even after several spins. Still when the album is playing, it´s an enjoyable listen and if you enjoy old school Scandinavian death metal you should find a lot to like here. The sound production is also quite good, so a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is still fully deserved even though "The Karelian Isthmus" isn´t the most remarkable death metal album out there.

poslednijat_colobar The golden era of Amorphis... is right now!

Amorphis has produced another inspiring album yet again. The beginning of times doesn't distinguish from previous three albums too much in terms of type/genre/sturcture etc. It's high quality progressive/melodic death metal album produced very well and full of beautiful ideas and polished sound. The folky ambience is all around the album and underlines the reserved style of the band.

It's very difficult this album to be judged in comparison of the pasts, because of their equality. So I would say I prefer slightly the past two (Silent Waters and Skyforger), but that one is strongly recommended. The best song is the homonymous Beginning of Time, in my opinion. There're no weak moments in the album and the consistence is remarkable yet again. As a conclusion I would praise the present era of the band (2006-present) as their golden era. The Beginning of Times receives well deserved 4,1+ stars.

UMUR "The Beginning of Times" is the 10th full-length studio album by Finnish metal act Amorphis. The album was released through Nuclear Blast Records in May 2011. It´s the first album release with new material since "Skyforger (2009)". Amorphis have been pretty active in the intermediate years though as they re-recorded 12 tracks from their early albums and released them as "Magic & Mayhem: Tales From The Early Years (2010)".

The music on the album is the usual mix of semi-progressive metal and death metal featuring ethnic Scandinavian folk melodies. Some tracks are more structurally complex than others but all tracks are interesting, melodic and memorable. The three longest and most varied tracks, "Battle for Light", "Song of the Sage" and "Beginning of Time" are among the highlights for me. This is where Amorphis most successfully and seamlessly combine their stylistic elements. Some of the more straight forward melodic tracks don´t have the same lasting quality. Stylistically "The Beginning of Times" features more folk elements than heard in a while from Amorphis and it suits them well. The band are great musicians and composers and they know how to create an atmosphere or a memorable hook. Lead vocalist Tomi Joutsen just gets better and better. His growls are deep and convincing and his clean vocals strong and melodic.

For this type of music I think the production is a bit too polished and sterile. A more organic production and maybe the use of vintage keyboards would really enhance the listening experience.

"The Beginning of Times" is another well produced (if you enjoy clean productions), well performed and well written album by Amorphis. They´ve tweaked their sound just enough to keep it fresh and interesting without compromising their core sound. For fans of the band this is of course a mandatory purchase while more casual listeners could definitely find listening pleasure here too. I´d say a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fair.

Diogenes Upon hearing that Amorphis was releasing a new album in May (June for Americans like myself), I was ecstatic. Skyforger is one of my favorite metal albums of all time, and while I doubted that the band could top that, I was still expecting the usual excellence from the band that has given us nothing but since 2006’s Eclipse. And while some people might be put off by the Finns’ latest effort by virtue of it not being up to snuff to its predecessors, The Beginning of Times is what it is: another masterpiece by Amorphis.

I know when I first heard The Beginning of Times, something seemed a little…off. The album is definitely darker than Skyforger, but not dark to the point of Silent Waters. It’s somber, and almost sad at certain points. Tomi Joutsen’s impressive death metal growls are used much more often here, to the delight of the band’s older fans, but they’re employed in a manner that’s more melancholy than it is aggressive. The album length is another concern; although the 54 minutes isn’t that much longer than previous Amorphis efforts, when coupled with the downtrodden sound, it becomes more problematic. Whereas time flies by whenever I listen to Skyforger, The Beginning of Times seems plodding in comparison. The title track at the end was the only one that really stood out to me at this point.

BUT WAIT! After a couple of listens, the genius of The Beginning of Times suddenly explodes out of the murkiness like the giant chicken is about to explode out of that egg on the cover. The melodies, which seemed unmemorable on the album’s first spin, begin sticking just the same as those on Skyforger did. The album’s more complex sound, with many more folk elements being used, is suddenly refreshing instead of disappointing. Take Soothsayer, for instance; what I initially deemed as being “boring” is anything but. It’s gloomy, yes, but the emotion pours from the instruments and Joutsen’s vocal chords all the same. You I Need, the album’s radio-friendly single, may not be catchy as House of Sleep or Silver Bride, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t up there. And guess what? It’s a metal song with love-related lyrics, and it doesn’t suck at all! Amazing. Oh, and the title track is by far the best album closer Amorphis has written in a while. Joutsen steals the show in a chorus that you won’t be forgetting any time soon, and the lyrics wrap up the previous songs perfectly. Each and every track that may have seemed too weird or too slow before comes forth with something unique. The Beginning of Times takes some tender loving listening to fully digest, and it can be hard to make an effort to do so with the gloomy mood, but you really should try to listen to this at least three times. There’s some amazing stuff here.

I already mentioned that there are more folk elements on this album. While the flute, saxophone, and clarinet are all used, there are clearly more folk influences in the regular instrumentation as well. Santeri Kallio, known for setting the traditional Amorphis atmosphere with his synth, uses his piano to stunning effect, especially in songs such as the opener Battle for Light and Reformation. The piano melodies on The Beginning of Times tug at the heartstrings with feeling, each one reminding you that this is not just another metal album. The lovely Netta Dahlberg provides the female vocals that add the perfect tinge of emotiveness, whether it be backing up Joutsen or having the spotlight to herself in Mermaid. And, as usual, the lyrical content of the album is based on Finnish mythology; the band tells the tale in a way that isn’t too cheesy. The folky aspects might seem like a mixed bag at first, but I’m glad they brought them back in full force.

In what would be a pointless aside in any other review, this is one of the few metal albums that I can think of with cover art that flawlessly represents the music inside. The darkness is accented by the waves crashing against the land, with a dim, cloudy sky that seemingly never ends. But the light in the distance hints that the old Amorphis magic didn’t leave at all; it’s just more concealed within the album’s depths. When you find it, it’s more satisfying than ever. To hide such a magnificent piece of work under a morose aura shows a band that has mastered both their individual instruments and the art of working together; six men working as one in perfect harmony.

Overcoming an unimpressive first listen, I must say that these guys continue to meet the lofty expectations that they set for themselves. The Beginning of Times is simply another day at the office for THE premier melodic metal band. Amorphis have truly perfected the act of reinventing themselves with every release, while sticking to the same formula that makes their music so damn good at the same time. Thus, I now realize that comparisons to Skyforger or any of their older albums should be left alone. While this is the band’s first effort in a while that will inevitably bring up debate as to whether they’re running out of steam, the final conclusion should be nothing less than another album of the year by the venerable Finns.

Diogenes In my never ending quest to free my peeps from the mainstream mumbo jumbo that plagues their music libraries, I often lend them whatever I'm listening to that week, if nothing more than to get a reaction of "This is all noise! I can't understand what he's saying WAAAA". Now, Skyforger already holds a special place in my heart for getting the most positive reactions from these little experiments. You might say, "But Diogenes, if people who listen to mainstream hip hop think this is good, doesn't that mean it's really BAD?" Nay, my friends. This is the best release of 2009. This might even be the best release in the past decade.

At this point in their careers, Amorphis had Amorphed from their death metal roots a long time ago and now play an extremely unique hybrid of many different genres. It's melodic, it's proggy, and has a hint of folk influence (with pianos and flutes and what have you), all while maintaining a streamlined, radio-friendly sound. There are still death growls (well-executed ones at that), but those are pretty much all that remains of the band's br00tal beginnings. As such, it's difficult to pigeonhole Skyforger into one metal subgenre, and to do so would be selling the album short anyway, unless you want to be a smartass and say this is "GOOD metal" or something like that.

With Skyforger, Amorphis have done something incredible and made a killer album just by writing good songs. A novel idea! There are no 22-minute wankfests, blast beats, or overly complicated lyrics that make you go, "What?" And yet every song here is sweeter than honey. There is no filler to speak of; from the piano intro in "Sampo" to the final lead of "From Earth I Rose", Skyforger is one thousand percent well-written material, with layers upon layers of musical craftsmanship. You know how it is when you hear a song you like, and then you listen to it again and find something else that you didn't hear the first time? That's what I'm getting at here. Any one of these songs could have been made into a single, or had a video shot for them, or whatever. What's impressive is that Amorphis are able to pull this off while making each song fresh and different from the last. The variety is such that it's impossible for me to pick favorites. If you want a sample, try "From the Heaven of My Heart" (much better than it sounds), or "Highest Star", but really, I'd rather start at track one and go from there.

The Amorphis lineup has remained stable since 2006, and being the third go with this group of musicians, Skyforger gives the impression that the entire band was feeling it and worked together as one to achieve this product. Tomi Joutsen in particular is just fantastic; his voice is one of a true man, both deep and emotive, with a thick and gutteral growl to boot. He does a remarkable job conveying feeling, especially during the refrains, and telling the heartfelt stories that the lyrics outline. The guitar duo of Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari lay down the folky melodies that Amorphis is known for in spades. The solos flow from their instruments like, well, you can use your own liquid simile here. However, the most important contribution this time around might have come from keyboardist Santeri Kallio, providing an unforgettable atmosphere that soars high above the chaos lower in the mix and tying the music together with a bow. The synth leads are nothing to scoff at, either.

There isn't really much more I can say, other than buy this album if you don't believe the hype. I hate to be the guy that brings up cheesy crap in his reviews, especially since I think I've done enough praising of this album by now, but since I have no real conclusion...There is a line that is crossed when metal becomes music, and when music becomes art. Picasso, eat your heart out; you're looking at it. Skyforger is more than metal. It is perfection. 5 stars and beyond