Amorphis
Elegy

THE REVIEW

Blessed was the day I discovered this great Finnish band, capable of blending death metal, evocative atmospheres, and melody into a devastating mix further enhanced by typical Nordic melancholy. Elegy is an album where everything is perfect; you never feel like skipping a song, and after a while, you're completely captivated. An example of this fusion is the opener Better Unborn, which begins with a long, vaguely oriental instrumental part that creates an emotional tension culminating in the splendid and intense performance of Pasi Koskinen, bringing a wonderful touch of despair to the song. In Against Widows, the raspy growls of Tomi Koivusaari dominate, and along with an engaging guitar riff, they create a dark and malevolent atmosphere yet ideal for pure headbanging. The Orphan is a suggestive almost instrumental piece (the few vocal lines, however, are perfectly interpreted by Koskinen) that creates a state of cold ecstasy, from which one is abruptly awakened by On Rich And Poor: this alone justifies buying the album. Not even Manowar crafted a riff as epic and exhilarating, giving the song impressive power; in a word, it's A BLAST. Equally splendid is the more reflective but equally epic My Kantele, closely followed by another piece de resistance like Cares: the intro is almost a tribute to Flash Of The Blade by Iron Maiden (this is also a wonderful song) and the chorus is passionately delivered by a great Tomi Koivusaari. Song Of The Troubled One is perhaps the least original, although Kim Rantala's keyboard intro is truly beautiful. The cherry on top is the folk-death metal masterpiece Weeper On This Shore, a continuous and evocative weave of keyboards, acoustic guitars, growls, and clean vocals, leading to the seven splendid minutes of Elegy, ennobled by a beautiful piano line that repeats throughout the track, giving it an uncommon charm. The album closes with the instrumental Relief (perhaps the only weak point) and an acoustic version of My Kantele, which, however, loses something compared to the original due to the absence of the Koskinen-Koivusaari vocal interplay.

In conclusion, a truly stunning album, a must-have at all costs.