Amorphis (FINLAND)

[Horex]

Amorphis - Circle (Limited Edition Digipak) (2013)













Year : 2013
Style : Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 118 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

Circle is the eleventh studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis, released on 17 April 2013 through Victor Entertainment and on 19 April 2013 through Nuclear Blast. Recorded at Petrax Studio in Hollola and at 5K Studios in Helsinki, it is the first Amorphis album since Far from the Sun (2003) not to be produced by Marko Hietala, or to be based on the Finnish national epic Kalevala. Instead, Circle was produced by Peter Tägtgren and focuses on an original story penned by lyricist Pekka Kainulainen.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen – vocals
Esa Holopainen – lead guitar
Tomi Koivusaari – rhythm guitar
Niclas Etelävuori – bass
Santeri Kallio – keyboards
Jan Rechberger – drums

Tracklist:

01. Shades of Gray 05:27
02. Mission 04:33
03. The Wanderer 04:43
04. Narrow Path 04:23
05. Hopeless Days 05:08
06. Nightbird's Song 05:00
07. Into the Abyss 05:36
08. Enchanted by the Moon 05:32
09. A New Day 06:00
10. Dead Man's Dream (Bonus Track) 04:03




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Sacrifice + Death Of A King (SP) (2015)











Year : 2015
Style : Progressive Metal , Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + fronts + Videos
Size : 113 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

The official lyric video for the song "Death Of A King" from Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS, can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by Chrigel Glanzmann (ELUVEITIE, flute) and Martin Lopez (ex-OPETH, percussion), is taken from the band's new album, "Under The Red Cloud", which will be released on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.AMORPHIS guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen comments: "It was a great honor to have such talented musicians appearing on 'Death Of A King'. Each one of them puts his personality and character in the very right spot."Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS will release their new album, "Under The Red Cloud", on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.States AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen: "The album is titled 'Under The Red Cloud' and the artwork is done by Valnoir Mortasonge. Valnoir is well known from his works for LAIBACH, PARADISE LOST, WATAIN, BEHEMOTH and many more. It was a great pleasure to work with him as he [captured] the lyrical topics really well. Colors and details describe the music perfectly."He continues: "'Under The Red Cloud' is produced by Jens Bogren, who did amazing job with the album. There's a lot's of elements in the songs but every note and element is in perfect harmony so that the result is fucking heavy and melodic. All I can say is that 'Under The Red Cloud' will be in my personal Top 3 AMORPHIS albums that we've ever done."To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of its classic album "Tales From The Thousand Lakes", AMORPHIS will make several European festival appearanes this summer.The "Under The Red Cloud" touring cycle will kick off in September.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2005-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Sinisthra, ex-Käsi, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, Funeral Jacket, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Violent Solution, ex-Chaosbreed
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, Verenpisara
Niclas Etelävuori - Bass, Vocals (backing) (2000-present) - See also: ex-Kyyria, ex-To Separate the Flesh from the Bones, Grease Helmet, ex-Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2003-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - see also: ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

01. Death Of A King
02. Sacrifice

+ Video "Sacrifice" (Official Video)
+ Video "The Wanderer" (Official Video)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud (Limited Edition Digipak) (2015)













Year : 2015
Style : Progressive Metal , Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 185 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

The official lyric video for the song "Death Of A King" from Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS, can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by Chrigel Glanzmann (ELUVEITIE, flute) and Martin Lopez (ex-OPETH, percussion), is taken from the band's new album, "Under The Red Cloud", which will be released on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.AMORPHIS guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen comments: "It was a great honor to have such talented musicians appearing on 'Death Of A King'. Each one of them puts his personality and character in the very right spot."Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS will release their new album, "Under The Red Cloud", on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.States AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen: "The album is titled 'Under The Red Cloud' and the artwork is done by Valnoir Mortasonge. Valnoir is well known from his works for LAIBACH, PARADISE LOST, WATAIN, BEHEMOTH and many more. It was a great pleasure to work with him as he [captured] the lyrical topics really well. Colors and details describe the music perfectly."He continues: "'Under The Red Cloud' is produced by Jens Bogren, who did amazing job with the album. There's a lot's of elements in the songs but every note and element is in perfect harmony so that the result is fucking heavy and melodic. All I can say is that 'Under The Red Cloud' will be in my personal Top 3 AMORPHIS albums that we've ever done."To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of its classic album "Tales From The Thousand Lakes", AMORPHIS will make several European festival appearanes this summer.The "Under The Red Cloud" touring cycle will kick off in September.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2005-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Sinisthra, ex-Käsi, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, Funeral Jacket, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Violent Solution, ex-Chaosbreed
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, Verenpisara
Niclas Etelävuori - Bass, Vocals (backing) (2000-present) - See also: ex-Kyyria, ex-To Separate the Flesh from the Bones, Grease Helmet, ex-Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2003-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

01. Under the Red Cloud
02. The Four Wise Ones
03. Bad Blood
04. The Skull
05. Death of a King
06. Sacrifice
07. Dark Path
08. Enemy at the Gates
09. Tree of Ages
10. White Night
11. Come the Spring (Bonus Track)
12. Winter’s Sleep (Bonus Track)

+ Video "Sacrifice" (Official Video)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud (2CD) (Japan Deluxe Edition Digipak) (2015)













Year : 2015 (Japan Edition)
Style : Progressive Metal , Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 360 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

The official lyric video for the song "Death Of A King" from Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS, can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by Chrigel Glanzmann (ELUVEITIE, flute) and Martin Lopez (ex-OPETH, percussion), is taken from the band's new album, "Under The Red Cloud", which will be released on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.AMORPHIS guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen comments: "It was a great honor to have such talented musicians appearing on 'Death Of A King'. Each one of them puts his personality and character in the very right spot."Finnish masters of melancholic metal AMORPHIS will release their new album, "Under The Red Cloud", on September 4 via Nuclear Blast.States AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen: "The album is titled 'Under The Red Cloud' and the artwork is done by Valnoir Mortasonge. Valnoir is well known from his works for LAIBACH, PARADISE LOST, WATAIN, BEHEMOTH and many more. It was a great pleasure to work with him as he [captured] the lyrical topics really well. Colors and details describe the music perfectly."He continues: "'Under The Red Cloud' is produced by Jens Bogren, who did amazing job with the album. There's a lot's of elements in the songs but every note and element is in perfect harmony so that the result is fucking heavy and melodic. All I can say is that 'Under The Red Cloud' will be in my personal Top 3 AMORPHIS albums that we've ever done."To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of its classic album "Tales From The Thousand Lakes", AMORPHIS will make several European festival appearanes this summer.The "Under The Red Cloud" touring cycle will kick off in September.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2005-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Sinisthra, ex-Käsi, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, Funeral Jacket, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Violent Solution, ex-Chaosbreed
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, Verenpisara
Niclas Etelävuori - Bass, Vocals (backing) (2000-present) - See also: ex-Kyyria, ex-To Separate the Flesh from the Bones, Grease Helmet, ex-Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2003-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. Under the Red Cloud 05:33
02. The Four Wise Ones 04:40
03. Bad Blood 05:23
04. The Skull 05:04
05. Death of a King 05:14
06. Sacrifice 03:56
07. Dark Path 05:08
08. Enemy at the Gates 05:07
09. Tree of Ages 04:36
10. White Night 05:15
11. Come the Spring 03:27 (Bonus Track)
12. The Wind 05:48 (Bonus Track)

CD2:

01. Shades of Gray (Live at Loud Park 13) 07:28
02. Narrow Path (Live at Loud Park 13) 04:46
03. Sky Is Mine (Live at Loud Park 13) 04:22
04. Silver Bride (Live at Loud Park 13) 04:18
05. Into Hiding (Live at Loud Park 13) 04:09
06. My Kantele (Live at Loud Park 13) 06:39
07. Nightbird's Song (Live at Loud Park 13) 05:09
08. Hopeless Days (Live at Loud Park 13) 05:24
09. House of Sleep (Live at Loud Park 13) 05:29




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Queen Of Time (Limited Edition Digiapk) (2018)













Year : 2018 (Limited Edition Digiapk)
Style : Progressive Metal , Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans + Video
Size : 211 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

Consistency is a term that is given to many bands these days, but one which perhaps categorizes a band like Amorphis the best, as there are few other bands have delivered well constructed albums for almost three decades. You might be forgiven for thinking that following the release of their last album, the critically well received ‘Under the Red Cloud’ that a band like Amorphis might have decided to rest on their laurels. Enter their upcoming 13th album ‘Queen of Time’, in album that once again proves that the band isn’t showing any signs of slowing down, and that they aren’t afraid of embracing new and creative elements into their music.Opening track “The Bee” sets a very strong precedent for the album. The opening key harmony begins with an almost Gregorian chant sounding section over the top of it that continues to build as the guitars, drums and bass are all introduced. It is a slow build, but one that works so well for such a big track and definitely creates a very vivid impression of the album as a whole right out of the gates. “Message in the Amber” follows next and sees a stronger prevalence of the bands folksier side, sporting a choral riff that would seamlessly slot into any folk metal track. However the bold contrast between the verses and chorus are what really provide the strength in this track. Much like “The Bee” proceeding it, the slower verses enhance each chorus by giving them that bit more of an extra punch when the heaviness comes around, and when fused with the accompaniment of a choir to complete a bridge you are given a starkly beautiful track which is one of the shining beacons on the album.“Daughter of Hate” is a standard Amorphis track, complete with a bombastically catchy riff and standard melodic faire – so much so that it seemed like the band might have been reverting to their usual ways and playing it safe from there on out, but then the band follows that up with “The Golden Elk”, a mystifying atmospheric tonal track that is a beautiful curve ball which showcases the band lifting their game to the maximum. While the dichotomy between the clean and harsh singing is again on display in such a refined manner, it’s the use of real string instruments in this song that works beautifully and creates an enthralling wall of sound effect. This coupled with the almost middle-eastern sounding acoustic solo, which is beautifully led into and used in such a way that it adds character to an already exuberant song, make this a stand out song on the album.From this point, the album sets into a tier of consistency with “Wrong Direction”, “Heart of the Giant” and “We Accursed”. These songs embody everything you have come to expect from Amorphis, but are structured in such a way that they keep everything sounding fresh and inspired, rather than reverting to past influences. While there might not be anything overly identifiable from them as opposed to the other tracks, each song bears its own distinct mark on the story of ‘Queen of Time’ as a whole.“Grain of Sand” follows this trio and seems to be a bit at odds with itself. On one hand you have a sonically happy sounding track with that offers listeners a feeling of joy and elation, while on the other hand the harsh delivery and sorrowful nature of the lyrics seem to completely contradict this happier undertone. It’s a different song, and one in which the sound varies largely from the overall tone of the album making it one that listeners will either love or hate, but it has its redeeming moments.The album closes out with “Amongst Stars” and “Pyres on the Coast”. “Amongst Stars” almost seems like a fitting enough song to be the album closer, featuring a beautiful guest vocal appearance by Anneke van Giersbergen that is a surprising, yet welcomed addition to the overall flow of the album. “Pyres on the Coast” however, takes all the lessons learnt from every preceding song to create a thunderous cacophony of a track that puts every strength of the band on display. Whether they intended on it or not, the band has seemingly ‘saved the best for last’, giving the album a closing two songs that act as a wonderful contrast to each other and work to truly encapsulate the spirit of the album.The production value on this album is second to none, but and being that the band has opted again to work with Jens Bogren for a second time, that’s not really that surprising. The use of real string instruments and other elements not normally utilised by the band – a suggestion made by Bogren – helps accentuate the individual sounds present in each song and provides a very transformative and progressive side to the band’s music, one which will hopefully translate well into a live setting.Will ‘Queen of Time’ make it to end of 2018 ‘Top 10 lists’? Only time will tell. But the Finns can rest comfortably in the fact that they have created another album that is going to be in the thoughts of those making those lists. While this album won’t be for everyone, anybody that has any sort of adoration or love of the melodic death, progressive or folk metal genres will find something to enjoy at separate times on this album, and that makes it worth checking out purely on its own.Many thought it would be difficult for Amorphis to top ‘Under the Red Cloud’, yet the band has seemingly taken every aspect of that album that the fans loved, amped it to the max, and then recorded ‘Queen of Time’. At a time where it is imperative that bands adapt to the ever changing musical landscape, Amorphis has introduced new elements to their music and has reinvigorated their sound in the process, proving that almost 30 years into their career that they have no intentions of slowing down.

Line Up:

Olli-Pekka Laine Bass (1990-2000, 2017-present) - See also: Barren Earth, Mannhai, ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Nuxvomica, Kiljuvelka-70, ex-Rytmihäiriö
Jan Rechberger Drums (1990-1995, 2002-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: Jonne, ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara
Esa Holopainen Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Tuska20, ex-Violent Solution
Tomi Koivusaari Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, ex-Tuska20, Verenpisara
Tomi Joutsen Vocals (2004-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Hallatar, Sinisthra, ex-Funeral Jacket, ex-Käsi, ex-Tuska20, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, ex-The Candles Burning Blue

Tracklist:

01. The Bee
02. Message In The Amber
03. Daughter Of Hate
04. The Golden Elk
05. Wrong Direction
06. Heart Of The Giant
07. We Accursed
08. Grain Of Sand
09. Amongst Stars
10. Pyres On The Coast
11. As Mountains Crumble (Bonus Track)
12. Brother And Sister (Bonus Track)
13. Honeyflow (Japan Bonus Track)

+ Video "Wrong Direction" (Official Video)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Live At Helsinki Ice Hall (2CD) (Japan Edition) (2021)













Year : 2021
Style : Melodic Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 205 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

This live album from Finland’s most compelling Metal band was an easy choice to make this week. I have a long history with AMORPHIS stretching back to the heady days of the early ‘90s when I saw an ad for “Tales from the Thousand Lakes” in Metal Maniacs. The general rule has always been not to buy an album based on its cover; however, an album with such a haunting, captivating, fantastical scene was most worthy of an exception. That risk taken on AMORPHIS paid off in dividends for somehow the music actually did sound like cover. Here was a band blending Death Metal with elements of Doom, Prog Rock and native Finnish Folk melodies, a novel sound in an era of bands trying to “out-brutal” each other, at least here in the States. Twenty-seven years later, I can proudly attest to remaining a fan throughout the subsequent peaks and valleys.I must admit to an undercurrent of selfish jealousy perhaps running through this review. It was quite some time ago that I caught the band live, back in ’99 prior to the release of “Tuonela” in fact, and after having witnessed such a key turning point in their evolution, I regret not having seen them since climb to the summit of forward-thinking Extreme Metal in a live setting. While I have always favored the earlier albums from the band, particularly “Tales from the Thousand Lakes” and “Elegy,” I think Tomi Joutsen has been a solid, consistent, and impressive vocalist, one I would like to see front the band in concert. For now, I will have to settle in to this live album captured at the Helsinki Ice Hall.The show opens with a regal, anthemic intro that bleeds into “The Bee,” the lead track from the band’s last album, “The Queen of Time”. An ideal opener, it showcases the band’s full, almost-cinematic sound. Followed closely by “Heart of the Giant,” the early moments show a band firing on all cylinders and demonstrating the fruits of their labors. It is certainly an impressive display of a band that is not only tight but also intuitive, performing at a peak level. What could be deemed the opening chapter concludes with the fourth track, “The Four Wise Ones,” from 2015’s “Under the Red Cloud”. Clearly a crowd favorite, it not only succinctly encapsulates this period of material but also serves to energize the listener for what comes next.The first climax for this concert comes in the form of the following track, “Into Hiding,” also the first proper track from ‘94’s “Tales from the Thousand Lakes”. Hearing the band in its modern, admittedly slicker form tackle an essential classic as such not only reinforces the appreciation of the original version but also fosters one for the band in its current state. While it may sound clichéd, the track truly came alive. In some ways, it sounded heavier while in others, more elaborate and stunning.While the sound quality has been alluded to previously, a better, more in-depth look should prove useful. The first adjective I would select to describe this live album would be huge. Often such a simple word is the best descriptor of such abstract concepts. The quality is on par with the top tier of recording artists and simply put, this is comparable to what I would expect from anyone from RUSH to IRON MAIDEN to PETER GABRIEL.The wide variety of guitar sounds are reproduced with enough girth when needed in some parts and ample pristine clarity in others. No instrument overpowers another, quite the feat when factoring in such a full band but undoubtedly the result of experience and such a very high production value. Seriously, the production will not disappoint even the most conservative sticklers of audiophiles. The end result is a show that highlights the collective band while retaining each member’s contributions without sounding either cluttered or over-produced.What should be also noted is how heavy the setlist leans on “The Queen of Time,” a whopping six of the fifteen tracks. In no way is that means to be a detriment to the album though there are some moments from the band’s discography that are unfortunately unrepresented.This is primarily material from the late ‘90s to the early 2000s and while some may feel this was a lull for the band, there were indeed some quality tracks from those albums beyond pure nostalgia or sentiment.If I had to pick a favorite moment on the album, it would be the ninth and tenth tracks, the one-two punch of “Against Widows” and “My Kantele”. Hearing those familiar strains took me back to a frozen drive late at night decades ago that I will never forget.There is no scintillating plot twist to the story; rather, a scene from a memory, a feeling forever etched in time as interpreted by my frontal cortex. Sharing this scene is meant to speak to the unique, timelessness of the band’s legacy, that ability with a few guitar chords to transport the listener to a different realm entirely. If there is one positive benefit to extol of music, it is definitely that, evidence of the thunderous impact of the band’s music on myself and certainly myriad others across the globe.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2004-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Hallatar, Sinisthra, ex-Funeral Jacket, ex-Käsi, ex-Tuska20, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Olli-Pekka Laine - Bass (1990-2000, 2017-present) - See also: Barren Earth, Mannhai, ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Nuxvomica, Kiljuvelka-70, ex-Rytmihäiriö
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Tuska20, ex-Violent Solution
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, ex-Tuska20, Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2002-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: Jonne, ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. The Bee
02. Heart Of The Giant
03. Bad Blood
04. The Four Wise Ones
05. Into Hiding
06. Sampo
07. Wrong Direction
08. Daughter Of Hate

CD2:

01. Against Widows
02. My Kantele
03. The Golden Elk
04. Pyres On The Coast
05. Silver Bride
06. Black Winter Day
07. House Of Sleep




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Halo (Digipak Edition) (2022)













Year : 2022
Style : Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 134 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

AMORPHIS was always high on my must-listen list, but it somehow took the release of “Queen of Time” (2018) for me to fully appreciate their music and dive deep into their discography. It took them a few years to unleash a new record on the world, but at last, the time has come! Their new album, “Halo,” will be released on February 11th, 2022, via Atomic Fire Records. With “Circle,” “Under the Red Cloud,” and “Queen of Time,” AMORPHIS have been putting out excelling records for quite some time now, so we’re here to investigate whether “Halo” passes the test of time and can be added to that list.From the first second, AMORPHIS manage to convince listeners with the opener, “Northwards.” The song is representative of what is to be expected from “Halo” as a whole. For instance, I feel like the band has included more time signature changes and there is just something about the rhythmic section and certain structures that make this album very unpredictable at times. Midway through, there is a beautiful instrumental section with very groovy bass lines and a Jon Lord-esque keyboard solo, after which singer Tomi Joutsen sings at a calmer pace. Afterwards, you’d think the band would switch up back to the chorus, but they leave the track with a banger of a choir, before hitting back to the epic chorus. I love a good twist!More melodic, but no less heavy, is “On the Dark Waters,” a track that is a perfect mixture of “Under the Red Cloud” and “Queen of Time.” What’s so great about it is that if you listen to it a bunch of times, every time you can discover something new, as it’s a very layered track. Furthermore, we haven’t talked about the Oriental influences in the C-part or about the modulation at the end of the track, but they should certainly be mentioned.If you, like me, have been spinning “The Moon” for quite some time, you probably like the stunning combination of AMORPHIS‘ different styles in it. Honestly, what got me hooked was the more progressive note to the song. The chorus consists of the loveliest melodies, the guitar melodies surrounding the song give it a different blend of spices, and it has dynamics to die for. Speaking of progressive, the prog elements continue into the next song “Windmane” (of which guitarist Esa Holopainen admitted during our interview that the working title of this was “Progfart”). The first part of the song progresses very nicely, but things unwind during the beautiful interplay between the guitar and keyboards in the solo section.More leaning towards melodic death metal is “A New Land,” which adds nicely to the flow of this record. The chorus has some beautiful female vocals added, harmonizing beautifully with Tomi Joutsen‘s vocals. Structurally, this track is perhaps the most straightforward, in-your-face track, but it’s surely welcome after the many polyrhythms we were offered so far. The band then plummets into “When the Gods Came,“ with beautiful added keyboard melodies accompanying the song throughout. This is easily the most fun chorus of the record to sing along to, making it a shoe-in to be a super fun live track.From here on, things take a turn a bit. The album gets really heavy with “Seven Roads Come Together,” easily one of my personal highlights of this record. Oriental-influenced heavy riffs are paired with Tomi Joutsen‘s incredible growls during the verses, which gives the song an ominous character. The lighter and poppier chorus forms a nice contrast. That Jens Bogren has decided to use fewer orchestrations, but instead, use them where it’s worth it, is apparent in this track. Only during the last chorus, there are dramatic strings added to the chorus, which give it a more emotional touch.“War” is a pretty standard AMORPHIS track – the magic only happens midway through the song when there is a beautiful section with grand choirs and things start to shift around again. This is definitely a track that needed a few spins in order to fully appreciate it. The poppier “Halo” starts off with an electronic soundscape, creating a tense atmosphere, after which a melodic riff starts to steal the show. It’s a nice change in dynamics, as this song feels a little bit more laidback and mellow. The female vocals during the second verse add a really nice touch to the whole. Towards the end of the song, the female vocalist does some ethereal atmospheric vocals, after which the chorus starts all over again.If by this point, you were getting a little bit worried about the lack of the word “heavy,” you might find relief in the fact that “The Wolf” is definitely the heaviest track on this record. Midway through, the song gets a progressive touch with a great instrumental section and of course, in what seems to be a trend on this album, a random choir pops up as a plot twist again – bonus points because they’re singing in Latin!Those who have followed my reviews for a while, perhaps know that I am a fervent hater of any kind of ballad. Admittedly, I was not fully convinced at first by the album closer, “My Name Is Night.” However, even I have a soft spot for something that touches the soul (re: Petronella Nettermalm‘s vocals on this track are otherworldly and blend so beautifully with Tomi‘s vocals.) Overall, this is the perfect ending to the album because it totally gives you a relaxing, soothing feeling that you kind of want to experience after the richness and complexities of this very layered record.“Halo” is the third time the band is working with highly acclaimed producer Jens Bogren. We all know that he is one of those names in the industry that everybody likes to work with, but listening to an album like “Halo,” it’s also pretty clear why. I can’t think of a single point of criticism concerning the production of this record. The album is totally carried by the instrumental backbone behind the machine that is AMORPHIS, yet Tomi Joutsen is necessary for this machine to work, as his voice – whether it’s his growls or clean vocals – carries a lot of emotion that conveys the themes of these songs perfectly.To conclude, “Halo” is the kind of album that you can put on repeat for hours, days, months, centuries, eons… you’ll never get sick of it. There is something new to discover in this record every spin because across these songs, there are so many extraordinary details that spice things up a bit, but essentially really make a difference. Whether it’s extra spicy guitar licks, subtle keyboard melodies, or the often groovy bass lines and polyrhythmic drums, this album is truly dynamic and altogether an interesting rollercoaster to the attentive listener.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2004-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Hallatar, Sinisthra, ex-Funeral Jacket, ex-Käsi, ex-Tuska20, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Olli-Pekka Laine - Bass (1990-2000, 2017-present) - See also: Barren Earth, Mannhai, ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Nuxvomica, Kiljuvelka-70, ex-Rytmihäiriö
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Tuska20, ex-Violent Solution
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, ex-Tuska20, Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2002-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: Jonne, ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

01. Northwards
02. On The Dark Waters
03. The Moon
04. Windmane
05. A New Land
06. When The Gods Came
07. Seven Roads Come Together
08. War
09. Halo
10. The Wolf
11. My Name Is Night




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Halo (Japan Edition) (2022)













Year : 2022 (Japan Edition)
Style : Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 143 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

AMORPHIS was always high on my must-listen list, but it somehow took the release of “Queen of Time” (2018) for me to fully appreciate their music and dive deep into their discography. It took them a few years to unleash a new record on the world, but at last, the time has come! Their new album, “Halo,” will be released on February 11th, 2022, via Atomic Fire Records. With “Circle,” “Under the Red Cloud,” and “Queen of Time,” AMORPHIS have been putting out excelling records for quite some time now, so we’re here to investigate whether “Halo” passes the test of time and can be added to that list.From the first second, AMORPHIS manage to convince listeners with the opener, “Northwards.” The song is representative of what is to be expected from “Halo” as a whole. For instance, I feel like the band has included more time signature changes and there is just something about the rhythmic section and certain structures that make this album very unpredictable at times. Midway through, there is a beautiful instrumental section with very groovy bass lines and a Jon Lord-esque keyboard solo, after which singer Tomi Joutsen sings at a calmer pace. Afterwards, you’d think the band would switch up back to the chorus, but they leave the track with a banger of a choir, before hitting back to the epic chorus. I love a good twist!More melodic, but no less heavy, is “On the Dark Waters,” a track that is a perfect mixture of “Under the Red Cloud” and “Queen of Time.” What’s so great about it is that if you listen to it a bunch of times, every time you can discover something new, as it’s a very layered track. Furthermore, we haven’t talked about the Oriental influences in the C-part or about the modulation at the end of the track, but they should certainly be mentioned.If you, like me, have been spinning “The Moon” for quite some time, you probably like the stunning combination of AMORPHIS‘ different styles in it. Honestly, what got me hooked was the more progressive note to the song. The chorus consists of the loveliest melodies, the guitar melodies surrounding the song give it a different blend of spices, and it has dynamics to die for. Speaking of progressive, the prog elements continue into the next song “Windmane” (of which guitarist Esa Holopainen admitted during our interview that the working title of this was “Progfart”). The first part of the song progresses very nicely, but things unwind during the beautiful interplay between the guitar and keyboards in the solo section.More leaning towards melodic death metal is “A New Land,” which adds nicely to the flow of this record. The chorus has some beautiful female vocals added, harmonizing beautifully with Tomi Joutsen‘s vocals. Structurally, this track is perhaps the most straightforward, in-your-face track, but it’s surely welcome after the many polyrhythms we were offered so far. The band then plummets into “When the Gods Came,“ with beautiful added keyboard melodies accompanying the song throughout. This is easily the most fun chorus of the record to sing along to, making it a shoe-in to be a super fun live track.From here on, things take a turn a bit. The album gets really heavy with “Seven Roads Come Together,” easily one of my personal highlights of this record. Oriental-influenced heavy riffs are paired with Tomi Joutsen‘s incredible growls during the verses, which gives the song an ominous character. The lighter and poppier chorus forms a nice contrast. That Jens Bogren has decided to use fewer orchestrations, but instead, use them where it’s worth it, is apparent in this track. Only during the last chorus, there are dramatic strings added to the chorus, which give it a more emotional touch.“War” is a pretty standard AMORPHIS track – the magic only happens midway through the song when there is a beautiful section with grand choirs and things start to shift around again. This is definitely a track that needed a few spins in order to fully appreciate it. The poppier “Halo” starts off with an electronic soundscape, creating a tense atmosphere, after which a melodic riff starts to steal the show. It’s a nice change in dynamics, as this song feels a little bit more laidback and mellow. The female vocals during the second verse add a really nice touch to the whole. Towards the end of the song, the female vocalist does some ethereal atmospheric vocals, after which the chorus starts all over again.If by this point, you were getting a little bit worried about the lack of the word “heavy,” you might find relief in the fact that “The Wolf” is definitely the heaviest track on this record. Midway through, the song gets a progressive touch with a great instrumental section and of course, in what seems to be a trend on this album, a random choir pops up as a plot twist again – bonus points because they’re singing in Latin!Those who have followed my reviews for a while, perhaps know that I am a fervent hater of any kind of ballad. Admittedly, I was not fully convinced at first by the album closer, “My Name Is Night.” However, even I have a soft spot for something that touches the soul (re: Petronella Nettermalm‘s vocals on this track are otherworldly and blend so beautifully with Tomi‘s vocals.) Overall, this is the perfect ending to the album because it totally gives you a relaxing, soothing feeling that you kind of want to experience after the richness and complexities of this very layered record.“Halo” is the third time the band is working with highly acclaimed producer Jens Bogren. We all know that he is one of those names in the industry that everybody likes to work with, but listening to an album like “Halo,” it’s also pretty clear why. I can’t think of a single point of criticism concerning the production of this record. The album is totally carried by the instrumental backbone behind the machine that is AMORPHIS, yet Tomi Joutsen is necessary for this machine to work, as his voice – whether it’s his growls or clean vocals – carries a lot of emotion that conveys the themes of these songs perfectly.To conclude, “Halo” is the kind of album that you can put on repeat for hours, days, months, centuries, eons… you’ll never get sick of it. There is something new to discover in this record every spin because across these songs, there are so many extraordinary details that spice things up a bit, but essentially really make a difference. Whether it’s extra spicy guitar licks, subtle keyboard melodies, or the often groovy bass lines and polyrhythmic drums, this album is truly dynamic and altogether an interesting rollercoaster to the attentive listener.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2004-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Hallatar, Sinisthra, ex-Funeral Jacket, ex-Käsi, ex-Tuska20, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Olli-Pekka Laine - Bass (1990-2000, 2017-present) - See also: Barren Earth, Mannhai, ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Nuxvomica, Kiljuvelka-70, ex-Rytmihäiriö
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Tuska20, ex-Violent Solution
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, ex-Tuska20, Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2002-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: Jonne, ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

01. Northwards
02. On The Dark Waters
03. The Moon
04. Windmane
05. A New Land
06. When The Gods Came
07. Seven Roads Come Together
08. War
09. Halo
10. The Wolf
11. My Name Is Night
12. The River Song (Japan Bonus Track)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Amorphis - Queen Of Time - Live At Tavastia (2CD) (Digipak Edition) (2023)













Year : 2023
Style : Heavy Metal
Country : Finland
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 139 mb

Bio:

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including heavy metal, progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the Epic Poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.In 1989, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen played in a thrash metal band called Violent Solution, which Tomi Koivusaari had left the previous year to form the death metal band Abhorrence. Violent Solution slowly dissolved and Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen put together another death metal band.In early 1990, Tomi Koivusaari became the vocalist and Oppu Laine became their bassist.During that time, Koivusaari also performed rhythm guitar, leading to the band dumping all original compositions and starting over again.Koivusaari's other band, Abhorrence, split up and he found himself with more time to put into Amorphis. A demo tape, Disment of Soul, was recorded in 1991 by Timo Tolkki at TTT studios.After the band recorded their first studio demo tape, Relapse Records offered Abhorrence a recording contract. Since Abhorrence was no longer active, they sent their own demo in the return mail and got signed to a worldwide recording deal. Soon after getting signed they released their death metal debut, The Karelian Isthmus under the new name Amorphis and later released the Privilege of Evil EP. The EP featured Abhorrence's original vocalist, Jukka Kolehmainen, on vocals on the Abhorrence cover song "Vulgar Necrolatry".In 1994, Amorphis released their second studio album, Tales from the Thousand Lakes, a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. This 1994 release, while still rooted in death metal, was their first step toward a new direction as melodic clean vocals were added,provided by Ville Tuomi. Tales from the Thousand Lakes won the band a fan base thanks to its innovative sound and fusion of death metal with traditional folk, psychedelia, and progressive elements. This album went on to influence the signature Amorphis sound.During the subsequent tours Kasper (keyboards) left the band, to be replaced by Kim Rantala. Jan was replaced by Pekka Kasari (ex-Stone), and a sixth member was recruited, singer Pasi Koskinen. The third album, Elegy was released in 1996. Lyrics were again adapted from Finnish mythology, in this case, the Kanteletar, a collection of ancient folk poetry. Pasi and Tomi shared the vocals on an equal basis, with Pasi's providing only clean parts.After a year and a half of touring following the release of Elegy, the band members took a time-out. Their next offering, 1999's Tuonela was a mellow guitar album, although toward the end of the studio sessions, Santeri Kallio of Kyyria was brought in to add some keyboard tracks to the songs. New instruments were introduced (Tomi playing sitar in the song "Greed", Sakari Kukko on saxophone and flute providing a foreign accent) and the death growls were reduced, as all vocals were performed by Pasi.The tenth-anniversary compilation Story was produced, and the band experienced another line-up change. Following the breakup of Kyyria, Santeri joined Amorphis as a full-time member. Bassist Oppu was replaced by another ex-Kyyria member, Niclas Etelävuori, to tour with Amorphis on their third U.S. tour.On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works.On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. Tomi Joutsen on the new album, "Circle represents integrity. Back in the days, when there was something special to talk about, wise men used to sit in circle. Not everyone was invited to join them. But in this story, the protagonist was invited among the wise men's circle.” On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, "For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studio album."On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren and with an album release date sometime in September 2015.The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says "Like 'Kalevala', they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us."The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band's home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the Twelfth Studio Full-length LP Album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a release date of 4 September 2015.

Album:

It’s quite baffling as to why AMORPHIS aren’t bigger than they are. 30 years into their career and they are still massively underrated. Even with a consistent back catalogue and a legacy that has inspired some of today’s younger bands, they haven’t ever had that meteoric rise. Their last few albums have seen a rebirth of sorts with the guys finding a sound that perfectly mixes their older work with more modern metal moments.One such album that garnered much praise from critics and fans was their 2018 release Queen Of Time. The successful wave they rode after this album’s birth hit an unfortunate and rather abrupt end due to the introduction of COVID-19 to the world. While other bands may have shut up shop for the foreseeable, AMORPHIS decided to crack on and deliver something for fans who were longing for the return of live music. They packed up their gear, took it to the Tavastia gig venue and ripped through Queen Of Time from start to finish. But how did it hold up compared to the studio version? For anyone who has witnessed to glory of AMORPHIS live, you will already know they bring it. This show is no different. Opening with an extended intro to the dazzling The Bee, the band begin with their usual fire. You wouldn’t know that they weren’t playing to a single soul. There is a sense of energy and determination that the band want to convey to the listener. They want you to feel like you’re right there with them, as you should have been in 2021 if not for the virus. They effortlessly rocket through Daughter Of Hate and the usually sung at the top of your lungs Wrong Direction. The chorus soars and fills the empty venue with Tomi Koivusaari’s powerful pipes.Every instrument seems to be mixed to perfection, with everyone cutting through with ease and clarity. Esa Holopainen shines as per usual. His guitar work hits extra hard through numbers like Heart Of The Giant and We Accursed. The live setting suits the band’s work with their folk-infused riffs ripping through the Tavastia. Even without feeding off the crowd, the band still give so much. You can hear the passion and drive that emanate through them as a unit.There’s a cameo from the ever-radiant Anneke van Giersbergen on the mesmerizing Amongst Stars, which sounds even more epic than usual. The accompanying Blu-Ray shows her performing her parts from another location but adding in an effect to inject her seamlessly into the performance. The band both look and sound on top form. It was difficult for bands during times of lockdown, but AMORPHIS’ decision to keep up appearances and put on an incredible show for their fans to witness in the luxury of their own homes was inspired.Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia) is arguably even better than the studio version due to the added energy and passion that the band constantly delivers. The flame shows no signs of fading any time soon for the mighty AMORPHIS.

Line Up:

Tomi Joutsen - Vocals (2004-present) - See also: Corpse Molester Cult, Hallatar, Sinisthra, ex-Funeral Jacket, ex-Käsi, ex-Tuska20, ex-Nevergreen, Feelings, ex-The Candles Burning Blue
Olli-Pekka Laine - Bass (1990-2000, 2017-present) - See also: Barren Earth, Mannhai, ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Nuxvomica, Kiljuvelka-70, ex-Rytmihäiriö
Esa Holopainen - Guitars (lead) (1990-present) - See also: ex-Chaosbreed, ex-Tuska20, ex-Violent Solution
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitars (rhythm) (1990-present), Vocals (1990-1997, 2010) - See also: Abhorrence, Verenpisara, ex-Ajattara, ex-Violent Solution, ex-Jam-Bore, ex-Karuselli, ex-Rebirth, ex-Velcra
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards (1999-present) - See also: Jonne, ex-Kyyria, ex-Tuska20, Verenpisara
Jan Rechberger - Drums (1990-1995, 2002-present), Keyboards (1992-1993) - See also: Jonne, ex-Violent Solution, Grease Helmet, ex-Ajattara

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. The Bee 06:57
02. Message in the Amber 06:43
03. Daughter of Hate 06:19
04. The Golden Elk 06:05
05. Wrong Direction 04:59
06. Heart of the Giant 06:28
07. We Accursed 04:58
08. Grain of Sand 04:44
09. Amongst Stars 04:47
10. Pyres on the Coast 06:57

CD2:

01. The Bee
02. Message in the Amber
03. Daughter of Hate
04. The Golden Elk
05. Wrong Direction
06. Heart of the Giant
07. We Accursed
08. Grain of Sand
09. Amongst Stars
10. Pyres on the Coast




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/