A well-respected colleague of mine once advised me that it was a bad idea to stay with a job or company for more than 10 years – and even that long was pushing it. The idea being, after a certain amount of time in the same setting, you begin to lose your passion for the […]

One could argue that Amorphis’s post Tuonela, Ad Universum, Far From the Sun ‘slump’ is a comeback stretch that is one of the more consistent, quality album runs in the annals of metal. With the arrival of Tomi Jousten, from 2006s Eclipse, through 2007s Silent Waters, 2009s Skyforger, 2011s The Beginning of Times, 2013s Circle (my […]

The Beginning of Times and Circle were both solid Amorphis albums, each with a few memorable standout tracks, yet I haven’t returned to them often. Instead, when I’ve been in the mood for some of the Finns’ melancholic majesty, I’ve chosen Skyforger, which I think is the quintessential album for the band’s now-lengthy third era (by my classification, anyway; era 1 […]

Amorphis is one of those bands who always did things on their own terms. They never pigeonholed themselves into one specific genre of metal, constantly experimenting with various sounds and adding elements to their music not typically found in regular metal. Amorphis, as defined by their name, are a band without boundaries, a band without a determinate form. The Finns were one of the first metal acts to ever infuse traditional folk elements to their sound and since the early stages of the burgeoning Scandinavian metal scene, they garnered a legion of loyal fans. Fast forward almost 25 years since the band’s inception and Amorphis is still standing tall amongst their peers. Two EPs and ten full-length albums in, Amorphis just released Circle, an album that revisits many passages of their career as well as a few new wrinkles here and there. TeethOfTheDivine.com was fortunate enough to speak to guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen about their latest release and Amorphis’ legacy. Considering everything that they’ve achieved and where they stand right now with their brilliant new record, it’s safe to say that Amorphis certainly has come full circle.

I’ve been extremely grateful for each new Amorphis album since Far from the Sun, considering that I basically gave up on the band with that one. Luckily for us, they realized how to play up their strengths and deliver what the fans want, and they’ve done a fantastic job of it ever since. And now, […]

If you are only recently getting into Amorphis and their somewhat resurgent last three albums, (Eclipse, Silent Waters and Skyforger), you must grab this 20th anniversary retrospective album, to see just how really fucking good Amorphis were on their first three albums. Coinciding with the recently released Forging the Land of a 1000 Lakes DVD/CD, […]

Once I heard that Amorphis’ ninth album once again delved into Finnish folk literature a la the legendary Elegy as well as Eclipse (Skyforger, like Eclipse is based on the Kalevala poems, this time focusing on Ilmarinen, one of the central characters), I had my hopes pretty high. Even more so when you consider that […]

Amorphis deserves the award for Scandinavian rhythm kings. As if their back catalogue wasn’t brilliant enough, they turned the tables around in 2006 with a new vocalist and kept on moving with Eclipse. With 2007’s Silent Waters, Amorphis shows the world just how powerful they are. Silent Waters is significantly better than Eclipse. Seriously. It’s […]

The evolution of Amorphis, for me, has been one of the most disappointing musical turns in recent memory. I was a latecomer to the band, only discovering them with Elegy, an album that completely blew me away. It was exactly the kind of music I was searching for at the time, melodic and moody, yet […]

Signing to a major label doesn’t necessarily result in the immediate benefits that one might expect, especially if the band in question has spent years developing their sound on the independent circuit. Most of these artists fail to make the transition from underground to mainstream success and Amorphis are certainly no exception to the rule. […]

If there was ever a band in metal that reveled in defying expectations and restrictive labels while continuing to move in a forward direction, it has been Amorphis. Ever since their groundbreaking effort Tales from the Thousand Lakes, they have been on a seemingly endless track of experimentation and evolution. Am Universum, their latest effort, […]