bonnek This short EP is one of my favorite Amorphis releases, it starts with an acoustic version of "My Kantele" from the preceding "Elegy". The song flows much better in this arrangement, maintaining a beautiful folksy vibe throughout and Koskinen's vocals sound very natural and intense. The outro with the sitar is quite brilliant.

Also "The Brother-slayer" and its instrumental sibling "The Lost Son" count amongst the greatest moments in Amorphis' career for me. I don't think the band ever got as Prog as on this particular track. They combine elements from folk, hard-rock and space-rock to a fresh and exciting new blend. The trippy jam of "Lost Son" even rivals Hawkwind at their core business.

Talking about Hawkwind, Amorphis' version of "Levitation" here is simply essential, it's even more exciting then Hawkwind's own studio original. Actually, Amorphis not only captures the essence of the original song, but they also add the energy and intensity of Hawkwind in concert. The jam in the middle section is fantastic again.

More space-rock Prog follows on "And I Hear You Call", a cover from Kingston Wall, a now forgotten space-rock band from the early 90s. It's the only track that features some growls, but apart from that, the arrangement isn't very different from the original, Amorphis just added their own energetic touch.

Back in the 90s, fans of the earlier Amorphis albums criticized the band for dropping the metal element in their sound too much, but the band would nevertheless continue in this direction on the ensuing albums. It won them some new fans as well, such as yours truly.