Eventhough I
picked it up in an English version years ago during one of my trips to Helsinki,
the Kalevala is one those collections of myths that I
never actually managed to sit down and read. Everytime I dig into Amorphis, I
tell myself that I should take the book down from the shelf and get on with it
finally.
I'm telling myself the same again right now, as the tones of 'The Beginning of
Times' pour into my ears for the umpteenth time over the past couple of weeks.
The Finns are definitely persistent in keeping the immensely high quality level
of the past couple of albums, I must say.
The first couple of times I listened through the album, I thought I'd mistakenly
put a Nightwish album into the player - the intro, honestly, it could easily
have been composed by Toumas Holopainen, but the characteristic Amorphis sound
quickly takes over.
Tomi Joutsen has now established himself as THE voice of Amorphis, and he grows
with the task with every album. Especially the clear vocal parts are fantastic.
The growl sections are - I don't know - somehow not so important anymore. I
could easily live without them, that's what I'm trying to say. It's as if
they're just there for show, the real hit is the melancholy, clear vocals that
Joutsen delivers.
Although quite diverse,
Amorphis' music is not complicated music these days, but as always the Finns
know how to write tunes with brilliant harmonies and a straightforward and
catchy hook line.
Excellent album, one that'll be spinning in my player many times in the future,
I reckon.
