Amorphis - Skyforger 2009

I have been a fan of this band for a very long time. Like what their name signifies, they are ever changing and ever progressing with each passing release. The evolution of this band from brutal death metal to the addition of Finnish folklore and melodies and now even delving into a bit of psychedelia thrown into the mixture has been astounding. Much like other bands I hold in such high regard (Opeth, Gojira and Trouble), Amorphis defies a genre label.

Over the years they have gone from only growling vocals to a mxture of clean/growl and then only clean. Then with Eclipse they brought them back, which I feel greatly improved the band. I had almost lost hope after hearing Far From the Sun. It has truly been an epic journey for Amorphis.



Finally Amorphis has released their ninth full length album, Skyforger. I have to say I have been looking forward to hearing this album for ages now, and when I received my advance copy of Skyforger I was quite ecstatic. I had to listen to it immediately. The opening track. "Sampo", is Amorphis at its most catchy. The chorus will be stuck with you for hours. “The days they blend into the night.” This song also has some very catchy guitar work. It reminds you that Amorphis is a metal band and not the Prog rock group some people accuse them of being. There is also some nice piano work that adds good contrast to the crunching guitar and even a little of Amorphis’s signature keyboard work from the olden days of albums like "Tales From The Thousand Lakes".



I can go on and on and dissect each and every track for you but I wont. This is one of those albums that is a gem and the listener needs to find these treasures on their own. It will not be hard as there are literally NO songs on this that are mundane.

Go out and buy this disc. Support the band. They deserve it.


Band: Amorphis
Album: Skyforger
Genre: Melodic Death Metal/Prog Metal/Folk Metal
Country: Finland
Download: Here
Torrent: Here
Rating: 4.25/5

By Bez

Ajattara - Noitumaa

OK, right from the get go I need to make it expressedly clear that I am highly biased
when it comes to Ajattara. Being a fan of Amorphis and Pasi's vocals, I was already on board before I even heard them. So, from their very first album I have been a dedicated fan of their unique sound. With that said, I will now attempt to give a fair and balanced review of the new effort, "Noitumaa".

It seems with this kind of music, black/folk metal, you either have an intense passion for it or against it.There is really no middle ground. Of course, some readers right now are probably formulating an argument against what I just said but for the most part it is true. So when I first got Ajattara's new disc to review it felt as if a war was already waging before it even was put into the cd player.

First of all, this is an acoustic black/folk metal album. Egads and ods bodkins! I know what you are probably thinking and believe me, I felt the same upon hearing that it was as such before getting the disc. But yep, no denying it. It's acoustic..not one single electric instrument throughout the entire album. Instead, they have created some of the darkest sounds ever recorded upon traditional acoustic instruments. The outcome is an extremely dark, tribal like sound that conjures up images of ancient pagan ceremonies to summon up dark ancient gods for nefarious deeds. So, all in all....it is a brilliant piece of progression in the black metal genre.





The instruments are extremely downtuned and this adds to the overall heaviness of the sound. This is a brilliant example of why Ajattara is such a good band. They utilize so many different sounds and efforts on this album to bring forth a true acoustic feel to it wihtout losing the overall intensity. On top of the traditional guitars and bass, they are using a Jew's Harp(mouth harp), pump organ, an accordian, cello and violin, and tribal drums that sound as if they are being beaten upon with bones.

"What about the vocals?", I am sure some of the readers are now wondering. No worries there, they are true to Pasi's black metal style and have not been hindered whatsoever. At times he even presents some darkly beautiful melodies while maintaining his demon spawned growl.



"Noitumaa" is likely one of the most interesting acoustic albums I have ever heard and with good reason. It is very odd and unreasonably charming. The production is spectacular and the performance is top notch. In fact, if you can find an acoustic album out there with greater clarity, I would be surprised. In the sea of acoustic releases over the past decade, it is really nice to encounter such a standout album. It may not be for everyone and some of the fans of this bands heavy albums may actually despise it. Who knows? If you love Black Metal and acoustic performances then you will certainly appreciate and enjoy this release. Personally, I think if you are a fan of black metal and don't love it..there is something wrong with you.


Band: Ajattara
Album: Noitumaa
Label: Ranka Records(Finland)
genre: Black/Folk Metal/Experimental
Rating: 5/5
Rapidshare: Here
Torrent: Here

By Bez