Amorphis
Queen Of Time

Over the years, Amorphis has developed a compositional formula that is one of the richest and most varied in today’s metal scene: a solid progressive/death foundation enriched at times by folk elements, and at other times by reminiscences of 70s hard rock and psychedelic influences. Completing the picture is the use of keyboards, which play a decisive role in creating the soundscapes typical of the Finnish formation, as well as atypical instruments like the sitar (remember the beginning of "Better Unborn," the opening track of the masterpiece "Elegy," dated 1996?). A full-bodied and evocative sound, therefore, that has allowed the Helsinki combo to establish itself on the international scene with a series of spot-on albums, some of which have become true benchmarks for the current metal scene (besides the already mentioned "Elegy," we might cite "Eclipse" or "Skyforger," just to name two examples).

However, one of the most frequent criticisms directed at the Finnish band is that of producing copycat albums, especially in the recent period. In this regard, it must be said that there have indeed been no major upheavals in terms of composition in the latest albums (especially in episodes such as "The Beginning of Times" from 2011 and "Circle" from 2013, records perhaps a bit below Our standard quality levels but absolutely noteworthy nonetheless); on the other hand, it should be noted that Amorphis has actually been the protagonist of an artistic evolution that, over time, has distanced them from the sulfurous and decadent death/doom of early career ("The Karelian Isthmus" and "Tales from the Thousand Lakes," to be clear), arriving at conceiving albums extremely different in sound and form such as "Am Universum" (2001) and "Far from the Sun" (2003).

"Queen of Time" is the thirteenth studio album by the Scandinavian formation (fourteenth if you also include "Magic & Mayhem - Tales from the Early Years" from 2010, a collection of old tracks re-recorded with slightly different arrangements from the original versions). Released in May 2018, the album shows a certain change of direction compared to the latest Amorphis-labeled records, thanks to a more massive use of orchestrations (by Francesco Ferrini, already with Fleshgod Apocalypse), which now play a much more important role than in the past. The songwriting also appears more complex and articulated; the tracks, as usual, alternate more delicate and melodic moments with others more impetuous and aggressive, but just when you think you've figured out where the song is going, here they are inserting an instrumental deviation or a tempo change that changes things, making the listening less predictable and reassuring. An example of this is "Daughter of Hate," which, besides being characterized by an odd time signature in stark contrast to the rest of the album, is embellished by Jørgen Munkeby's sax solo (frontman of the Norwegian avant-prog formation Shining), as well as a suggestive spoken word mid-track recited in native language by Pekka Kainulainen, a renowned Finnish artist and lyricist who has long collaborated with Amorphis (he, in fact, writes most of the group's lyrics).

Tracks like the opener "The Bee" and "We Accursed," on the other hand, connect to the Nordic formation’s more recent past, presenting an epic and compelling death/prog assault as tradition demands. However, what makes a difference is precisely that aforementioned symphonic and orchestral vein, which helps accentuate the surreal and epic atmosphere of the songs, presenting us with Amorphis that are much more emphatic and over the top compared to the recent past.

There are also more catchy and radio-friendly tracks (yes, I know, I should write "more catchy," but for once I want to spare you the anglicism of the moment): this is the case with "Wrong Direction," chosen not by chance as the single for the album's release, and "Amongst Stars," which features the vocal contribution of Anneke van Giersbergen, former singer of the historic The Gathering.

All in all, "Queen of Time" could be the album with which Amorphis can silence, once and for all, those who accused them of sonic stagnation. Sure, the Finnish trademark is always recognizable; however, Our friends have shown, this time around, that they still have a lot to say and want to experiment with somewhat different musical paths. No small feat, considering we are talking about a formation that has been around for 30 years. A breath of fresh air, in short, that could reignite the spirits of those who had given up on them. And the more recent "Halo" (released this February) seems to have confirmed the excellent health of the Helsinki band.

And we're fine with that.