Amorphis Top x - up next: Luoto's top 30

[?]

So here it is, the Amorphis list thread! There aren't lots of Amorphis fans here, but the ones who like them seem to know their discography quite well, so I bet there will be at least a bit of interest in a thread like this. If you aren't familiar with Amorphis yet, but want to try and get into them, you can follow these lists and get good song recommendations

I'm the first one to go and the following people are waiting for their turn:

-aprilethereal
-gazinwales
-MoraWintersoul
-eviljust

If you want to make a list as well, tell me and I'll add your name there

The reason there isn't any specific number in the thread title is that you can include as many songs as you want, although I think 40 would be a good maximum. I'm going to do separate top 20 lists for the 1992-2003 albums and the Tomi Joutsen era stuff, because Amorphis have so many great songs and I want the albums to be represented fairly. Besides, the amount of albums in each list is pretty equal (6 in the first, 5 in the second) and I think this is a good way to split the discography, because the line-up and sound of Amorphis have remained stable since Joutsen joined the band.

I'm not a great writer, so sorry if these writeups are subpar. Anyway, here we go - the first 6 albums are represented first:

20. Goddess (of the Sad Man) (Am Universum)

"Inhale all mists from the shadows
And hide before the dawn
Face your mortal horror
You won't be reborn"

I had a hard time deciding whether this song or Captured State (a criminally underrated piece!) would make my list, but in the end I chose Goddess because of its captivating atmosphere. The intro is very explosive, although not heavy, and the song has many interesting, effect-laden guitar parts. Pasi also sounds really good here and I love the way he sings the last line in the quote above (both times). The lyrics are also cryptic and interesting, making you wonder who/what the "goddess" in the song is.

19. Elegy (Elegy)

"Beneath the grass my treasure
Under the sand my sweet one"

The title-track of Elegy is the longest Amorphis song ever and the only song Kim Rantala composed all by himself while he was still in the band. I've heard he wrote it when he was 14, but I don't know if it's just a rumor. Kim's piano playing is very beautiful and towards the end it becomes especially clear that this song was written by a keyboard player - you can hear piano, lead synth and Hammond organ at the same time! The lyrics deal with the subject of losing your loved one (ancient Finns were goths before it was cool ), which fits the melancholic nature of the music. Elegy is a song full of emotion and I'm obviously a fan of emotional and sad music, so it shouldn't be hard to guess why I like the song

18. Weeper on the Shore (Elegy)

"What sorrow and smart
So pierces your heart
That even at midnight it will not depart?"

Weeper on the Shore is a kind of hidden gem, since it doesn't seem to be very popular compared to other songs on Elegy and it's the only one from that album they haven't played live since Tomi Joutsen joined the band. This song has some gorgeous acoustic guitar playing and neat keyboard work. One of the aspects I love about Elegy is that the growl/clean ratio in the vocals is equal in many songs, which gives the music a nice balance, and WOTS is a great example of that. After the second chorus the song starts to explore other territories with a great instrumental section. Words fail to describe how much I love the unison when it comes back at the end of the song in a higher key and as a harmonized version

17. Day of Your Beliefs (Far from the Sun)

"It's a day of the ruins
The time of your relief
It's a day of the judgments
The day of your beliefs"

Day of Your Beliefs has a special meaning to me, because it's the first Amorphis song I ever heard - it was played on the radio upon its release (I didn't become a fan until 2008, though). It stands out on Far from the Sun because it has a nice folky melody. I'm not the biggest folk metal fan out there, so I'm not sure if folk elements would've made the rest of the album better, but DOYB is the only tune that I really like on the record. It has some actual energy and lots of catchiness, which is why it's the only FFTS song on my list (spoiler!).

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I don't know any of these! 

But I will now go listen to them.

[?]

That's the right thing to do!

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Hmm, after listening to all the songs, I'd say Goddess was my favorite. Both songs from Elegy seemed a bit muddy, but that's probably just YouTube quality.

Looking forward to the rest!



and then I'll have to buy all the albums

[?]

The production of Elegy is a bit muddy, so I bet it isn't just the YT quality. It's a really good album nonetheless.

[MoraWintersoul]

And it's underway! :popcorn: Love all of these, not much to say!

[Phantasmatron]

I'll be following this.  I tend to prefer the Joutsen era, so not all of the songs so far are among my favorites, but it's still interesting to read the commentary.

[aprilethereal]

Great choices so far, although I would rank Elegy at leat 15 places higher

-aprilethereal (probably?)

I'd defintely like to do one, but it will be one list for all Amorphis eras.

Unfortunately I won't be able to visit DTF next week, but after that, I'll be following again.

[?]

I confirmed your spot! I'll post another batch right away (I'll try to update this every day, so I should be done in approximately two weeks):

16. Divinity (Tuonela)

"Last day brings the grace
For bearers of forbidden name
Step into five fold mace
As son as father in a frame"

Divinity begins with atmospheric keyboards and some subtle drum strokes before the heavy guitars join the "DA-DAM DA-DAM" and Pasi starts singing. Although this song was the single and video track for Tuonela, it isn't as obviously catchy as modern day Amorphis hits. That said, it is a really powerful song with great melodies. There are some moments of sheer brilliance like the unison at the end and the way Pasi growls the last word at the end of each chorus.

15. The Castaway (Tales from the Thousand Lakes)

"A bird flew out of Lapland
An eagle from the North East
One wing ruffled the water
And the other swept the sky"

The Castaway shows how versatile Amorphis can be: it begins with a folky melody, but suddenly they travel from Finland to Arabia when the Eastern-sounding riff kicks in. The growls give the song heaviness and after the "fake ending" there's a cool 70s style chillout section before Mr. Koivusaari plays his only Amorphis solo to date. And what a brilliant solo it is... The Castaway is also famous for the fact that during the recording of this song producer Tomas Skogsberg asked the Amorphis guys if their record label knew what they were doing Although Tales... was a very unique album at its time, this song is probably even further away from standard death metal than the rest of the songs.

14. On Rich and Poor (Elegy)

"At the time we lived
Without the sunshine
Who had covered up our sun
And who had hidden our moon?"

On Rich and Poor is full of melodies in the typical Amorphis fashion, but it's a very balanced song. Not only is the amount of growls and clean vocals almost equal, but the folky melody after the first clean vocal part offers some brightness after the slightly melancholic beginning, despite not sounding exactly happy. This actually fits the lyrics that deal with living in constant darkness; it's like this brighter melody is the part where the people finally get some light. Anyway, that's just my interpretation I also love the drumming at the end - Pekka Kasari has good feet for double pedal work, having played with speed metallers Stone when he was younger.

13. Thousand Lakes/Into Hiding (Tales from the Thousand Lakes)

"Wanted to soar heavenward
The sun burnt his cheeks
The moon lit his brows"

This may be cheating, but these 2 pieces are simply one of the best ways to open an album I've ever heard, and one of my favorite Amorphis live experiences was last December when Thousand Lakes started playing and they came back, beginning the encore with Into Hiding. Thousand Lakes is a neat intro for the record and I love playing it on piano (maybe I should post a cover? ). It flows nicely into Into Hiding (lol), which happens to be Tomi Joutsen's favorite Amorphis song. Although I don't love it as much, IH kicks all kinds of ass with its awesome riffs. It also gave the world the first taste of Amorphis with clean vocals and in the end there's a really cool bass solo. What's there not to like?



Also, some of these songs have been released as new versions on the Magic & Mayhem compilation, but I'm writing about the original versions, although I have to admit most of the remakes are better. I tried to rank these songs based on the songwriting itself, not any particular version or recording.

[aprilethereal]

Of Rich And Poor should be about 10 places higher

Awesome songs. The outro of The Castaway is one of the best moments of the band's carreer

[?]

Of Rich And Poor should be about 10 places higher

Don't give too many spoilers about your list!

[aprilethereal]

I said "should", not "is"

But you're probably right.

[?]

Well, you didn't reveal the exact position, but it makes guessing easier

[aprilethereal]

I haven't finished my list yet, so I don't even know

[gazinwales]

Add me to the list please, I'll work on mine over the next few days.

[?]

Add me to the list please, I'll work on mine over the next few days.

Done!

12. Better Unborn (Elegy)

"Better it would be for me
And better it would have been
Had I not been born, not grown
Not been brought into the world
Not had to come to this earth
Not been suckled for the world"

Some fans have called the Eastern-influenced Amorphis songs "kebab metal" and I guess Better Unborn is one of the first in this category, if not THE first. It's also clear that Amorphis members had been listening to Kingston Wall in those days - actually Petri Walli was asked to play sitar on Elegy, but he committed suicide before the recording of the album, so Esa ended up playing it instead. Anyway, the sitar sounds really cool and I love the exotic yet heavy feel of this song. Pasi also makes a good debut appearance as the singer of Amorphis on this tune. I think the outro could've been a tad shorter, but it doesn't bother me too much.

11. Greed (Tuonela)

"My blood flows ever skywawrd
And pools where thy black is white
Alone am I to raise my head
In the starless forest night"

And here comes another kebab metal piece! Greed is pretty different from the rest of Tuonela due to being the only song that employs grunts for more than just one word or line. It was also the first song written for the album, so it was like a farewell to their death metal roots. Just like in Better Unborn, there's some sitar (this time played by Koivusaari) and the influence of Kingston Wall is strong, especially in the clean vocals. The whole song is awesome and Pasi's growling rules, but I especially love the riff before and after the clean vocal part and think it's one of the best Amorphis have ever come up with. It's depressive to think that Greed is the only Tuonela song I've heard live, but hopefully that will change in the future. That said, I'll never forget how much ass it kicked in 2011!

10. Exile of the Sons of Uisliu (The Karelian Isthmus)

"For him I poured out - hero of heroes
The deadly drink that killed him"

I'm not really a fan of standard (read: not melodic or proggy) death metal, so Amorphis' debut doesn't include a lot of stuff I can say I love. However, even before hearing the 2010 remake I thought this song was great and stood out as the best one on the album. Exile... is a great death metal song with some phenomenal riffs, like the one after the part quoted above (which was also kind of recycled in the middle section of Hopeless Days). As a fan of doom metal I love the slow section with the amazing guitar harmonies. Also, is it just me or does Koippari's growl at the beginning of the song sound like he's taking a dump? It always sounds pretty funny to me.

9. Rusty Moon (Tuonela)

"Iron does as iron's told
And drinks of life's red gold
But shame won't leave with dying breath
The life that wants its own death"

Rusty Moon is a really relaxing song that I absolutely adore. It never fails to make me smile, although the lyrics are slightly bleak. Sakari Kukko's flute work is amazing and he really steals the show here, despite being just a guest musician. It's great that we got to hear him play flute again on Circle. What else can I say? I chattered quite a bit about the previous few songs, but I don't have enough words to describe how much I love Rusty Moon. If you haven't seen the acoustic version Amorphis played last year on the Finnish concert hall tour, check it out immediately! I'm still sad I didn't get to see any of those shows...

[gazinwales]

I think I'm matching 3 or 4 of your choices, but I haven't done the first 3 albums yet and it will only be Tales and Elegy as I have never heard the first album.
I'm almost afraid to hear it 

Not to piss on anything, but also found on, 'Tuonela' album,  is another song with death vocals, 'Northern Lights' is the last song on my Aussie version of the CD 
I think it was also on the Japanese and other territories version of the album too.

[?]

Yeah, I know Northern Lights and it's a neat song, but Greed was the only song with growls on the standard edition of Tuonela.

TKI is worth a listen if you're curious to hear how it all began, but the best songs on the album were re-recorded for Magic & Mayhem, so it's not a huge loss if you haven't heard it.

[wasteland]

So far not a single song from the only two albums I know. Does this mean they are ahead of us or too far behind to be seen? 

[?]

As I said in the OP, I'm doing 2 lists: this first one only includes songs from the first 6 albums and the next will be dedicated to the newer stuff. The Joutsen-era list will have its fair share of Skyforger and Circle, so there will be familiar songs And of course you could give at least some of these unfamiliar tunes a listen if my writeups sound interesting

[?]

Time for a few obscure non-metal songs:

8. Veil of Sin (Am Universum)

"Is it just an omen
Is it me walking blindly
I will find the answer
When I wake up from my dream"

Am Universum on the whole is an album that takes a lot of time to click, but I didn't start loving Veil of Sin until earlier this year (basically 4½ years after I had heard it for the first time!), because I always found it kind of boring and never gave it a proper chance. What a fool I was! This song is incredibly melancholic - Esa's lead during the pre-chorus and the chord progression underneath it are really beautiful, and so are the piano, acoustic guitars, sax... everything! My only little gripe is that the lyrics suffer from an abundance of grammar mistakes, but fortunately they don't lessen the impact of the music. A little piece of trivia: Amorphis premiered this song live at a show in Oulu in March 2009 and it was dedicated to Sentenced guitarist Miika Tenkula, who had passed away a couple of weeks earlier and lived in the municipality of Muhos in the same area. Classy move, I'd say!

7. Summer's End (Tuonela)

"Tread my path to summer's end
This bequest I leave you she says
You will see what could be evergreen
Turn to copper and fade to gray"

More melancholy... Due to its title Summer's End always reminds me of how depressed I've felt every time my summer vacation has ended. The music truly captures the feeling of a change of seasons and the end of something beautiful. The lyrics also remind us that nothing lasts forever. Just like Veil of Sin, Summer's End is a touching song and one of those pieces of music that really make you feel something. I also have to point out how great Pasi's vocals are here: he shows he's (or at least was) not a one-trick pony as a vocalist, sounding soft, but also using a harsher tone when needed.

6. Shatters Within (Am Universum)

"It's an old man's pride
That climbs over understanding
It wasn't your child
That I was hurting"

Shatters Within is a really underrated song that most people seem to ignore completely. I don't get that at all, because I think it's amazing Like Veil of Sin, it took some time to grow, but now I just can't help loving the build-up, brilliant guitar work, strong vocals, etc. The lyrics are really cryptic, which is usual for mid-era Amorphis, and it kind of annoys me that I can't come up with any good interpretation of them. Anyway, I know I mentioned the guitars earlier, but I have to say Esa truly shines here - his role on Am Universum isn't as big as on other albums, but every time he plays a lead it's a very tasty one.

[gazinwales]

I have a good idea what your #1 will be 

[?]

I bet you're not the only one...

[Kwyjibo]

One more Amorphis fan calling in.
Will follow this thread and maybe even make some comments, but be warned that most times I'm just too lazy to post.

List is looking good so far.

[?]

One more Amorphis fan calling in.

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

Oh crap, I forgot to listen to these. I shall do so later tonight.

[MoraWintersoul]

A little colony of Amorphis fans

[Big Hath]

A little colony of Amorphis fans

I'm moving ever so close to this destination as well.

[?]

Yesterday's update included some less popular songs, but these 3 are well-known classics:

5. Black Winter Day (Tales from the Thousand Lakes)

"A black winter day
No, darker than that
Gloomier than an autumn night"

Hearing someone shout the title of Black Winter Day at an Amorphis show isn't unusual at all, because it's always been one of their most popular songs. It was the first Amorphis song to get a music video (which is awful IMO) and it was also released as an EP. Kasper Mårtenson's father Lasse Mårtenson is a legendary Finnish musician who has written many waltzes and Black Winter Day is like a melodeath waltz, so Kasper may have been subconsciously influenced by his dad. Black Winter Day sounds very Finnish, both musically and lyrically - there's a deep sense of gloom. I love Kasper's signature piano/Moog intro and the Moog solo, and Esa's leads and Tomi K's growls also make this song very memorable. Unfortunately Ville Tuomi's clean vocals don't sound too great, but luckily we have the version with Tomi Joutsen.

4. My Kantele (Elegy)

"So it will not play, will not rejoice at all
Music will not play to please
Give off the right sort of joy
For it was fashioned from cares
Moulded from sorrow"

My Kantele is another immortal classic and could be called Amorphis' signature song, because it combines the different elements of their music so well. The "electric" version has great vocals by both Tomi K and Pasi, cool keyboards and of course there are Esa's signature leads. If I was forced to choose between it and the acoustic version, I'd pick the latter, because I love the feel of it a bit more and the accordion solo and the sitar outro are simply so great. That said, the ultimate rendition has to be the one on the Magic & Mayhem compilation, because it combines both. Anyway, Mike Antele (lol) is also a very Finnish song - the lyrics deal with our national instrument and how it was "moulded from sorrow". Because of that I've always thought Amorphis should've used an actual kantele on this song. My sister is a kantele player, so maybe I should ask her to learn the outro of the acoustic version?

3. Drowned Maid (Tales from the Thousand Lakes)

"Waters of the sea
So much blood of mine
Fishes of the sea
So much flesh of mine"

Drowned Maid is one of the more metallic songs on Thousand Lakes, yet its full of melodies at the same time. This may sound paradoxical, but that's exactly what makes this song so freaking awesome! It's really heavy and badass, but you can hum along to the pleasant melodies. The chorus melody is magnificient I've heard half the songs from Tales live, but never this one. However, they've been playing it recently, so I need to keep my fingers crossed! One more fun fact (I've told you many of these ): Tomi K heard one of the melodies in this song in his dream and recorded it immediately after waking up. It would've been a tragedy if he had forgotten about it!



Top 2 will be revealed tomorrow, any guesses?

[Zydar]

I'm hoping Sampo is one if the two (pretty much the only Amorphis song I've heard, although I'm going to use your list as an introduction).

[Kwyjibo]

Sampo -> Tomi Joutsen era -> separate top 20, so it will come later, if it comes at all

I'd like to mention that any top 20 without including "The Way" would be sincerely incomplete.

[Zydar]

Sampo -> Tomi Joutsen era -> separate top 20, so it will come later, if it comes at all

Ah, I must have missed that.

[gazinwales]

My money was on My Kantele for #1
But I'm going to go with 2 Elegy songs in you last 2.
One will be Against Widows and the other I'm not quite sure...

[MoraWintersoul]

I always referred to BWD as a melodeath waltz!

[?]

I always referred to BWD as a melodeath waltz!

Off-topic, but have you noticed any similarities between BWD and Forlorn Waves by Barren Earth?