Amorphis... blow?

[TheOutlawXanadu]

For whatever reason, I didn't get a chance to listen to Halo much when it first came out. I've been making up for that this week and man... What an album. Amorphis are truly the Tom Brady Patriots of metal. Just so consistent and never a bad outing.

[wolfking]

For whatever reason, I didn't get a chance to listen to Halo much when it first came out. I've been making up for that this week and man... What an album. Amorphis are truly the Tom Brady Patriots of metal. Just so consistent and never a bad outing.

it's solid, but I haven't come back to it as much as I thought I would.

[Kwyjibo]

Yeah, me too. Really good record, but none I reach for often.

[gazinwales]

For whatever reason, I didn't get a chance to listen to Halo much when it first came out. I've been making up for that this week and man... What an album. Amorphis are truly the Tom Brady Patriots of metal. Just so consistent and never a bad outing.

IMO it's their weakest in many years, perhaps the worst Tommy Joutsen era release.
Nowhere near the complete greatness of the previous two.

[WardySI]

For whatever reason, I didn't get a chance to listen to Halo much when it first came out. I've been making up for that this week and man... What an album. Amorphis are truly the Tom Brady Patriots of metal. Just so consistent and never a bad outing.

IMO it's their weakest in many years, perhaps the worst Tommy Joutsen era release.
Nowhere near the complete greatness of the previous two.

Whoah! Think it's the best of the last 3.  Not by much though they've all been fantastic but have really taken to On Dark Waters, The Moon and the title track as much as I love much of the last 2 not sure anything comes close to these.

Have this and Red Cloud on vinyl but do need get Queen Of Times LP too \m/

[wolfking]

Its not even in the same realm as QOT.

[Kwyjibo]

Halo for me sounded a bit like Amorphis by numbers. (Guitar melody in the intro, clean singing verse, growled chorus or as variety, growled verses and clean singing chorus). That isn't necessarily a bad thing but Queen Of Time and Red Cloud had a lot more variety and felt more inspired. Those two were stellar. Maybe if Halo had come out before those two I would appreciate it more.

And the song I like best on Halo is My Name Is Night because it's the only song that strays from their usual formular.

[TheOutlawXanadu]

I thought Under the Red Cloud was a masterpiece. I thought Queen of Time was really good. I think that Halo is good, maybe not one of their best, but there's also something really special about Amorphis that you just can't replicate elsewhere. I also read that they approached those three albums as a sort of spiritual trilogy, which is neat.

[Deathless]

I thought Halo was a bit forgettable and only listened through once. I enjoyed Under the Red Cloud and QOT much more. I'll listen to each of them again and report back later this week.

[wolfking]

I thought Under the Red Cloud was a masterpiece. I thought Queen of Time was really good. I think that Halo is good, maybe not one of their best, but there's also something really special about Amorphis that you just can't replicate elsewhere. I also read that they approached those three albums as a sort of spiritual trilogy, which is neat.

That's interesting.

I thought Halo was a bit forgettable and only listened through once. I enjoyed Under the Red Cloud and QOT much more. I'll listen to each of them again and report back later this week.

I wouldn't personally say forgettable as the songs were great but it just didn't have the sticking power like QOT.  I'm also in the thinking that while Red Cloud was great, I don't rate it as highly as most others did.

[WardySI]

Yes they explained the trilogy was loose but certainly there and I gotta say these last three absolutely sit well together as opposed to for example the difference between say The Circle than Red Cloud

For a long while I had Red Cloud over QOT but they probably on par with one another now and atm still have Halo above those.  Great 3 album run and it will be interesting see where they eventually go next.

[wolfking]

Yes they explained the trilogy was loose but certainly there and I gotta say these last three absolutely sit well together as opposed to for example the difference between say The Circle then Red Cloud

For a long while I had Red Cloud over QOT but they probably on par with one another now and atm still have Halo above those.  Great 3 album run and it will be interesting see where they eventually go next.

I rate Circle way higher than Red Cloud personally.

[WardySI]

Well if we're talking the catalogue I rate Skyforger above them all

[wolfking]

Well if we're talking the catalogue I rate Skyforger above them all

Me too.

Well, I used to.......that may be different now.  I think QOT trumps them all.

[WardySI]

Hmmm nah I'm happy with Skyforger there still in fact Halo would probably be one of my personal 5's atm too these days, along with Silent Waters actually that album still continues to reveal more with each spin

[Polarbear]

Tomi Joutsen era Amorphis albums for me:

1. Queen of Time
2. Eclipse
3. Skyforger
4. Silent Waters
5. Under The Red Cloud
6. Halo
7. The Beginning of Times
8. Circle

5 and 6 are pretty interchangeable.

[gazinwales]

My Tomi Joutsen era Amorphis rankings:

1. Queen of Time
2. Under The Red Cloud
3. Circle
4. The Beginning of Times
5. Skyforger
6. Eclipse
7. Silent Waters
8. Halo

[wolfking]

I think I'd bump Skyforger down a little.

1. QOT
2. Circle
3. Skyforger
4. Under the Red Cloud
5. Silent Waters
6. Halo
7. TBOT
8. Eclipse

[WardySI]

K this is much harder than I thought...

1. Skyforger
2. Silent Waters
3. Eclipse
4. Halo
5. Under the Red Cloud
6. QOT
7. Circle
8. TBOT

[Kwyjibo]

Interesting how completely different those lists are.

Here's my attempt at ranking:

1. Under The Red Cloud
2. Queen Of Time
3. Eclipse
4. Skyforger
5. Silent Waters
6. Halo
7. The Begining Of Time
8. Circle

[LithoJazzoSphere]

1:  Eclipse
2:  Silent Waters
3:  Skyforger
4:  Queen of Time
5:  Under the Red Cloud
6:  Circle
7:  Halo
8:  The Beginning of Time

[hefdaddy42]

Anyone else catch the new single that dropped today, "Amongst Stars"?  Not bad.  Features Anneke Van Giersbergen, which is always welcome.

[LithoJazzoSphere]

That one's actually from 2018, on Queen of Time.    But it's possibly my favorite song of theirs though, Tomi and Anneke work so well together, wish they'd collaborate more in the future. 

[hefdaddy42]

That one's actually from 2018, on Queen of Time.    But it's possibly my favorite song of theirs though, Tomi and Anneke work so well together, wish they'd collaborate more in the future.

So it's a re-release?

Maybe a remix or something?

EDIT:  Went back and checked.  It's a live version.

Sorry everyone lol

[LithoJazzoSphere]

Oh, it is new content though, so don't be sorry at all, it hadn't even appeared in my feed yet apparently.  It was a big hit in Jamesman's last round, so certainly worth spreading even further. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2n7kRg3h4

[Luoto]

Tomi Koivusaari will release his first solo album, Heartrot, by the name Bjørkø (stylized Swedish that can be literally translated to his last name) on December 1st. The list of guest artists (mainly vocalists) is intriguing considering the lead single features a lot of old school death metal.

1. The Heartroot Rots (feat. Jeff Walker / Carcass)
2. Vaka Loka (feat. Addi Tryggvason / Solstafir)
3. Whitebone Wind (feat. Marco Hietala and Petronella Nettermalm)
4. Värinvaihtaja (feat. Ismo Alanko)
5. Awakening
6. World As Fire and Hallucination (feat. Stian Thoresen / Dimmu Borgir)
7. The Trickster (feat. Jessi Frey / Velcra)
8. Hooks In The Sky (feat. Tomi Joutsen)
9. Magenta (feat. Mariska)
10. Reverberations (feat. Sakari Kukko)

Tomi Koivusaari – guitars
Valtteri Väyrynen (Opeth) – drums
Lauri Porra (Stratovarius) – bass
Janne Lounatvuori (Hidria Spacefolk) – keyboards

[nick_z]

Oh wow, had no idea this was in the works.

I guess not too dissimilar of an idea to what Esa did with his Silver Lake album...although this will probably sound quite different (at least based on the first single)

Thanks for posting this 

[gazinwales]

Yeah same, the first single sounds great, shame Tomi K isn't doing any of the lead vocals.

[MinistroRaven]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXvXn_zByQw

 

[MinistroRaven]

Anyone here wants to review the BR coming out next week?

[gazinwales]

Yes I would love to.

[MinistroRaven]

Yes I would love to.

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