Author Topic: Amorphis... blow? (Read 119914 times)

? · « **Reply #315 on:** January 08, 2013, 04:56:06 AM »

I remember Esa and Tomi K said that the amount of female fans going to Amorphis gigs was multiplied when Joutsen joined!

Quote from: MoraWintersoul on January 07, 2013, 11:46:39 AM

HOW COOL are the lyrics of My Enemy?

Amorphis lyrics are great overall, especially considering that they're first written in Finnish, then translated to English and then arranged to fit the vocal lines (probably in the same way that JP edits JM's lyrics in DT?). I think it's great they get people interested in Kalevala, both in Finland and abroad, and of course it has helped them get some publicity here. Pekka Kainulainen makes the stories easily approachable and more down-to-earth.

The downside is that there's not much room for interpretation (at least for a guy like me who knows the stories of Kalevala better than an average Finnish teenager): when the tracklisting for The Beginning of Times was announced, I already knew what Battle for Light, Mermaid and My Enemy would be about - and that was three months before I had even heard the album!

The same thing happened with Sampo and Silver Bride when the Skyforger tracklist was announced.

Quote from: wolfking on January 08, 2013, 04:54:47 AM

I don't mean to nitpick, but could we change the title of the thread, it just annoys me, anyone else agree.

Then the first post would have to be edited as well...

wolfking · « **Reply #316 on:** January 08, 2013, 04:58:17 AM »

Fair enough.

I should probably add something worthwhile here.

Skyforger is one of the greatest things ever!!

? · « **Reply #317 on:** January 08, 2013, 05:15:09 AM »

Skyforger is my favorite album - as I said in the B-side thread, it was the first Amorphis album I bought on the release date and I saw them for the first time on the Forging the Land of Thousand Lakes tour. Even Silver Bride still manages to sound pretty great, although I bought the single (which also includes an awesome song called Separated!) before the release of the album and listened to it quite a lot, and it has also been played at every Amorphis gig I've seen. It's also probably their most famous song in Finland, having gotten quite a lot of radioplay and being chosen the radio hit of the year - Amorphis even played it at the Emma (Finnish Grammy) awards, where they won the "best metal album" category.

But despite not being bored of SB, I think it's not even close to being the best song on Skyforger - Sampo, From Earth I Rose and the title-track are my favorites.

wolfking · « **Reply #318 on:** January 08, 2013, 02:46:19 PM »

I can see why it's their most successful song, it's awesome, top 3 on the album IMO.

TheOutlawXanadu · « **Reply #319 on:** January 08, 2013, 07:52:14 PM »

Quote from: ? on January 08, 2013, 05:15:09 AM

Skyforger is my favorite album - as I said in the B-side thread, it was the first Amorphis album I bought on the release date and I saw them for the first time on the Forging the Land of Thousand Lakes tour. Even Silver Bride still manages to sound pretty great, although I bought the single (which also includes an awesome song called Separated!) before the release of the album and listened to it quite a lot, and it has also been played at every Amorphis gig I've seen. It's also probably their most famous song in Finland, having gotten quite a lot of radioplay and being chosen the radio hit of the year - Amorphis even played it at the Emma (Finnish Grammy) awards, where they won the "best metal album" category.

But despite not being bored of SB, I think it's not even close to being the best song on Skyforger - Sampo, From Earth I Rose and the title-track are my favorites.

Sampo, Sky Is Mine, and From Earth I Rose get my vote.

? · « **Reply #320 on:** January 09, 2013, 07:14:51 AM »

Silver Bride is catchy for sure...

Actually Radio Rock plays a lot of Amorphis, some people have even complained about that! However, 99% of the time they play just the Joutsen-era singles, that's probably the reason. The poppier channels play their stuff minimally, although I once heard Silver Bride when I was in a fast food place and the radio was on (incidentally, I had just bought the Forging... DVD before I went there!).

adace · « **Reply #321 on:** January 16, 2013, 10:30:00 AM »

New album details released. Can't wait!

https://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=184948&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Dr. DTVT · « **Reply #322 on:** January 16, 2013, 10:46:28 AM »

Quote from: wolfking on January 08, 2013, 04:54:47 AM

I don't mean to nitpick, but could we change the title of the thread, it just annoys me, anyone else agree.

I do. People don't read the OP anymore anyways. Just call it "The Amorphis Thread".

? · « **Reply #323 on:** January 16, 2013, 10:48:55 AM »

Nothing on their website or FB yet

The summary of the story sounds interesting - it seems that it's not based on any Kalevala character this time (or if it is, I can't recognize which one). Can't wait to see the tracklisting...

...or hear the album!

"Mehtä" sounded really good live and if the rest of the album is as good, it will be yet another solid record.

MoraWintersoul · « **Reply #324 on:** January 16, 2013, 02:44:32 PM »

I am flipping over this. I love them. Mehtä sounded great in the recordings and the bits of riffs in their studio diaries really show promise.

Scorpion · « **Reply #325 on:** January 16, 2013, 03:27:06 PM »

Alright, so I'm getting an album and the store here has The Beginning of Times, Magic and Mayhem, The Karelian Isthmus, Eclipse and Tales from the Thousand Lakes. ariich sent me Sampo in my roulette and I really loved it, which of these would you recommend?

Nick · « **Reply #326 on:** January 16, 2013, 03:32:49 PM »

Eek, pretty piss poor selection for Amorphis, definitely get The Beginning of Times.

Scorpion · « **Reply #327 on:** January 16, 2013, 03:35:31 PM »

Will do tomorrow.

Dark Castle · « **Reply #328 on:** January 16, 2013, 03:58:11 PM »

Quote from: Nick on January 16, 2013, 03:32:49 PM

Eek, pretty piss poor selection for Amorphis, definitely get The Beginning of Times.

Piss poor selection? I see some good albums in that list

Dr. DTVT · « **Reply #329 on:** January 16, 2013, 04:22:59 PM »

No...get Eclipse. It's more "Sampo" like. It's their 3rd best album. Magic and Mayhem is a compilation of their first 3 albums, and Elegy is something you will want in full (pass on any compilation if you plan on getting them all eventually, but definately this one). Beginning of Times would be my second choice, but even that might be their 6th best album.

But definitely Eclipse. ariich will back me on this one.

Nick · « **Reply #330 on:** January 16, 2013, 04:35:32 PM »

Yeah, Eclipse would be great too, just stay away from the rest.

TheOutlawXanadu · « **Reply #331 on:** January 16, 2013, 05:51:43 PM »

Quote from: Scorpion on January 16, 2013, 03:35:31 PM

Will do tomorrow.

Dude... What are you doing? Why are you listening to Nick?

I would recommend Eclipse over The Beginning of Times. After Eclipse, you're probably going to want to pick up Magic and Mayhem, unless death vocals annoy you that much. In case you don't know, Magic and Mayhem is a collection of re-recorded songs off their first three albums with their current line-up.

The King in Crimson · « **Reply #332 on:** January 16, 2013, 06:38:26 PM »

IMO Eclipse >>>> Skyforger

Eclipse is an absolutely grand album. Get it nao.

? · « **Reply #333 on:** January 17, 2013, 12:08:24 AM »

Quote from: Scorpion on January 16, 2013, 03:27:06 PM

Alright, so I'm getting an album and the store here has The Beginning of Times, Magic and Mayhem, The Karelian Isthmus, Eclipse and Tales from the Thousand Lakes. ariich sent me Sampo in my roulette and I really loved it, which of these would you recommend?

Skyforger is my favorite and would be a perfect starting point, especially since it includes Sampo. But out of those, I'd say pick Eclipse or TBOT - I prefer the latter, but the former is held in higher regard among the fans and includes some of their most popular songs like House of Sleep. Thousand Lakes is a great album as well and it was my first Amorphis album, but it's much more death metal-oriented than their new stuff. DON'T get Magic & Mayhem or The Karelian Isthmus: the former is a compilation of re-recorded versions of their early stuff, and the latter is their debut, which isn't particularly outstanding or original death metal.

gazinwales · « **Reply #334 on:** January 23, 2013, 06:28:14 PM »

For some reason that I cannot explain, Skyforger is my least favourite Amorphis album.
It has just never clicked for me, even yesterday I forced myself to listen to it in the car, I got to song 7 or 8 and turned it off.
Silverbride and Sampo are killer openers, but the rest just goes right over my heard.

faemir · « **Reply #335 on:** January 23, 2013, 07:06:29 PM »

The general consensus is of the "trilogy", the ranking is:

Silent Water
Eclipse
Skyforger

And most people seem to place the latest album (Beginning of Times) above skyforger but below eclipse.

TheOutlawXanadu · « **Reply #336 on:** January 23, 2013, 07:43:22 PM »

Is that the general consensus? I would agree with it, but I don't know there is any sort of consensus.

? · « **Reply #337 on:** January 24, 2013, 02:54:00 AM »

For me it's

Skyforger
Silent Waters
TBOT
Eclipse

I don't know what the consensus is (if there is any), but on some websites where you can rate albums the rankings by average score look like this:

Rate Your Music:
1. Silent Waters
2. Skyforger
3. Eclipse
4. TBOT

Sputnikmusic:
1. Silent Waters
2. Eclipse/Skyforger
4. TBOT

Encyclopaedia Metallum:
1. Eclipse
2. Skyforger
3. Silent Waters
4. TBOT

wolfking · « **Reply #338 on:** January 24, 2013, 02:57:02 AM »

I haven't read anywhere about people rating TBOT over Skyforger. Skyforger is clearly better, Eclipse is golden too.

? · « **Reply #339 on:** January 24, 2013, 03:04:02 AM »

TBOT became my favorite when it came out, but it hasn't aged too well. It could've been stronger if they had made it 10 songs long like the previous ones and dropped a couple of weaker songs. Eclipse is my least favorite because I'm not crazy about songs like Two Moons and Same Flesh, and it also includes the most overplayed Amorphis live song, The Smoke. Joutsen also hadn't completely found his feet yet as a vocalist - he was great already, but his vocals got more expressive and powerful on the later albums.

MoraWintersoul · « **Reply #340 on:** January 24, 2013, 04:13:46 AM »

Quote from: ? on January 24, 2013, 03:04:02 AM

Joutsen also hadn't completely found his feet yet as a vocalist - he was great already, but his vocals got more expressive and powerful on the later albums.

I agree. I'm not sure why Skyforger is so underappreciated - everyone says it's the weakest out of the "new" albums, but it might be my favorite album overall.

Nick · « **Reply #341 on:** January 24, 2013, 07:27:03 AM »

For the most part Amorphis has been pretty consistent over the past 4 albums, tough to rank them.

? · « **Reply #342 on:** January 24, 2013, 08:29:58 AM »

Cover art and tracklisting revealed:

1. Shades Of Gray
2. Mission
3. The Wanderer
4. Narrow Path
5. Hopeless Days
6. Nightbird’s Song
7. Into The Abyss
8. Enchanted By The Moon
9. A New Day
Bonus track:
10. Dead Man’s Dream

The cover and the song titles aren't overtly typical for Amorphis, and I think that's a good thing. There are also only 9 songs, plus one bonus track - maybe there'll be some longer pieces? Someone on the Imperiumi board guessed that Shades of Gray would be Mehtä, judging by the lyrics.

Dark Castle · « **Reply #343 on:** January 24, 2013, 09:52:36 AM »

I LOVE that cover

MoraWintersoul · « **Reply #344 on:** January 24, 2013, 10:24:45 AM »

Quote from: Dark Castle on January 24, 2013, 09:52:36 AM

I LOVE that cover

ariich · « **Reply #345 on:** January 24, 2013, 11:03:28 AM »

Quote from: faemir on January 23, 2013, 07:06:29 PM

The general consensus is of the "trilogy", the ranking is:

Silent Water
Eclipse
Skyforger

And most people seem to place the latest album (Beginning of Times) above skyforger but below eclipse.

That would be my ranking, and yeah I'd back Doc on saying that from that list Eclipse is the one you should be getting. But frankly, TBOT is also a very solid album. For those of us who have been fans for a while, the biggest problem was that everything on it we'd heard before. The songs are still good though.

The rest of the albums available I would hold out on for now, Scorp. Elegy is a classic but it's very different to how they sound now. Magic & Mayhem is re-recorded versions of their old songs with the current lineup/singer, so it's good sonically but the music isn't as interesting on the whole.

So yeah, either of Eclipse or TBOT would be good, but the former is the one I'd recommend most.

adace · « **Reply #346 on:** January 24, 2013, 11:55:53 AM »

Quote from: Dark Castle on January 24, 2013, 09:52:36 AM

I LOVE that cover

The King in Crimson · « **Reply #347 on:** January 24, 2013, 12:37:05 PM »

Quote from: Dark Castle on January 24, 2013, 09:52:36 AM

I LOVE that cover

TheOutlawXanadu · « **Reply #348 on:** January 26, 2013, 01:26:37 PM »

Seeing only nine songs on the album gets me excited. The Beginning of Times was a little long for my tastes (although that wasn't it's biggest problem).

Scorpion · « **Reply #349 on:** January 26, 2013, 01:42:39 PM »

Problem solved. I found Silent Waters as well.

I don't need to tell you that, but it rawks.

News: Video of online chat between fans and members of Dream Theater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8cLlXnHpA&feature=youtu.be (*no chickens were harmed during the filming of this chat)

Author Topic: Amorphis... blow? (Read 119914 times)