Amorphis
The Karelian Isthmus

THE REVIEW

A leap into the past, in a time when Scandinavian death metal was taking its first steps and revolutionary pages were being written by acts like Entombed, Dismember, Hypocrisy, Unanimated, and, indeed, Amorphis.

It is 1993, and this work marks the debut of the five Finnish members (then almost teens). Recorded at the "legendary" Sunlight Studios by the guru Tomas Skogsberg, "The Karelian Isthmus" is a concentrate of feral brutality, catacombal guitar-crunches, pachyderm rhythms, and screams of catarhing ferocity. Opened by a gentle intro with a folk call, the album spits out a dozen raging and urgent tracks where "chainsaw" guitars (Entombed docet) scratch but become, at times, surprisingly melodic, opening the door for the subsequent harmonious turns of "Tales...". The opener "The gathering" and "Warriors Trial" stand out for their intensity, with a ferocious riffing that duets with doom-bordering slowdowns as Mr. Koivusaari "warbles" crazed and venomous barks. A punctual and aggressive drumming serves as the "engine" demolishing what remains. The same tones continue for the rest of the album with the brutality-melody pair timidly appearing in the leads of "Exile of the Sons of Uisliu", truly engaging with an easily assimilable refrain. Adrenaline charges come from "Pilgrimage", abrasive, fast with an apocalyptic riffs finale and truly fast'n'furious drumming. The peak is nonetheless reached by the jewel "Sign from the North Side", deadly in its opening with bone-crushing guitars followed by vitriolic growls and, subsequently, energetically "epic" with its battle-like atmospheres dressed in the band's typical doom-death combination. It closes with a roaring finale with solos reminiscent of "Left Hand Path", again from Entombed.

In short, a work unsuitable for originality maniacs, for those seeking elegance and, in particular, for those who love the band's progressive side. Hardened death metallers, on the other hand, will find here lava flows with which to set their ear cups ablaze in truly enthralling "headbanging". Bearing witness to the wildest period of the Helsinki quintet "The Karelian Isthmus" embodies the essence of Northern European death metal incorporating all its loved and hated patterns.

Primitive, raw, and energetic.