Album Review: Amorphis - Borderland
Reviewed by Rich Oliver
Finland is a country with more than its fair share of metal exports but Amorphis are probably the most pioneering and influential of all the many incredible bands this country has to offer. A band that have given a helping hand in forming the melodic death metal and folk metal genres and a band that retains all of its original members (which is some mean feat these days), Amorphis are showing no signs of slowing with “Borderland” being the fifteenth album of original material from the band.
With a career spanning thirty five years, Amorphis have developed a very distinguishable sound especially in latter day albums combining a strong use of melody, a rich atmosphere and a mix of light and shade especially in the powerhouse vocals of Tomi Joutsen who effortlessly mixes stunning cleans and brutal growls. Guitarist Tomi Koivusaari has described “Borderland” as “the most Amorphis-sounding album we’ve ever made” and it’s hard to argue against that.
The album is made up of ten songs which are unmistakably Amorphis but with a few steps in some different musical directions. It is also Amorphis at their most accessible and organic sounding with the melodic side of the band really pushed into the foreground. You have luscious, cinematic songs which focus on atmosphere such as ‘Fog To Fog’, ‘The Lantern’ and ‘Despair’ alongside hook and melody driven catchy numbers such as ‘The Strange’, ‘Light And Shadow’ and the bouncy ‘Dancing Shadows’ which Koivusaari has said he can imagine “lighting up a metal dancefloor”. The heaviest song on the album comes in the form of ‘Bones’ which was written by keyboard player Santeri Kallio “to prove I could write a heavy, riff-based Amorphis song. And to everyone’s surprise, "Bones" ended up being the heaviest track on the album”.
“Borderland” continues a run of strong albums from Amorphis. Whilst there are some leanings into a more streamlined and modern sound, this is still the same unmistakable Amorphis from the melancholy drenched melodies, the influence from traditional Finnish folk music, the powerful vocals and the epic atmosphere which just conjures up images of epic wintery landscapes. If you are a fan of the direction that Amorphis have been taking since the mid 00’s, then there is plenty for you to love here. This would also be a great starting point for anyone who has yet to enjoy the glory of Amorphis music.
