Track Listing
1. Better unborn 2. Against widows 3. The orphan 4. On rich and poor 5. My kantele 6. Cares 7. Song of the troubled one 8. Weeper on the shore 9. Elegy 10. Relief 11. My kantele (Acoustic reprise) Year: 1996 Label: Relapse - Official Site |
Amorphis - 'Elegy' - By S. Regan
Finish outfit Amorphis take their name from the word "amorphous", meaning 'no determinate form or shape' They make music that is more on-par with '70s progressive rock acts than the metal bands of today. If you follow Amorphis� career you will become very aware of the bands willingness and eagerness to explore new sounds and venture into uncharted territories. With each album they display how they are never holding onto the past and never rely on the success of the sounds they created on previous releases. In 1994, Amorphis ventured even further into their ever evolving sound with the release of �Elegy�. A step away from the more Doom laden, death metal sound of it�s predecessor �Tales From The Thousand Lakes�, the album is a leap into the progressive sound that would soon become more defined in releases to follow. This album is a very poignant benchmark stepping-stone in evolving from their earlier sound, to the sound that can be heard on Amorphis releases today. Elegy boasts many layers to it�s sound. A lot of people who I have spoken to in the past find this complexity in their sound to be both a step in originality but at the same time a huge hindrance for them. This is because with everything going on there is a lot to take in and it often comes across as though the band is trying all too hard to be innovative. Elegy is an eleven-track adventure filled with keyboard atmospheres, psychedelic guitar tones and an array of vocal experiments that are delivered by both original Amorphis vocalist Tomi Koivusaari and the newly appointed "clean" vocalist Pasi Koskinen. New drummer Pekka Kasari also gets to display his rock-solid work for the first time on this album, completing the six-piece Amorphis line-up. Throughout these eleven tracks are an abundance of instruments that are often put to innovative use. Sitars, the afore mentioned psychedelic guitars and atmospheric synthesized fills all add to the album�s multi-layered sound. This album is the first in the line of following releases to feature the clean vocals of Pasi, and the interplay between this and original vocalist Tomi add even more to the variety of the sound and it all works very well, playing off of each other beautifully. Take, for instance, the eastern sounding, effects laden guitars and sitars of opener �Better Unborn�. Vocally this album erupts with the basey gut wrenching growls of Tomi before Pasi moves in for the clean vocals that carry the song and consequent chorus perfectly. The guitar work on this album often features many effects and this creates contagious hooks and licks that compliment the equally catchy basslines. Unfortunately however these basslines can often end up simply drenched in the sound and end up being used as a mere underscore to the rest of the audio. Elegy features lyrics that are inspired by �The Kanteletar�, which is a legendary piece of Finnish literature, this book comprises of nearly 700 poems and ballads that are based on old Finnish traditions. I have heard from many people that they feel that when Amorphis find a good idea for a riff they tend to overuse it. I was sceptical at first, but if you take songs like 'Song of the Troubled One' for example, you find that the keyboard part here is played just a few too many times and you tend to feel a bit over exposed to it and soon tire. This album will undoubtedly keep you on your toes, and is perhaps not for everyone. As I said, the band often simply tries too hard to be new and original and this often works to their disadvantage and may prove to alienate many of their listeners. However, this 70s rock, folk inspired progressive metal release is still a very well thought out and grown up piece of work � and given a few listens can be ultimately rewarding. Metal Obsessive Grade: 85% |