Written by Risto on 15.06.2011 at 19:36

Now that they have a proper deal with Nuclear Blast they are actually making a living out of musicianship. In this light it's not surprising that they aren't changing their sound that much anymore but yet they're more inspired than ever before and have the ability to progress on a more subtle level. The weakness of this review is that it disregards the experimentation on this album, such as female vocals.

Written by Milena on 15.06.2011 at 19:35

I don't get why everyone sees Skyforger as a weaker album. It's the most wonderfully melodic piece of heaven.
As for the new album, it's quite awesome, hints at old Amorphis, and is generally the finest vocal work Joutsen has provided us with. However, if they continue with this exact style further on, it may be too much.

Written by KwonVerge on 15.06.2011 at 19:40

They are but very few and female vocals aren't always an experimentation, such vocals have been in many bands so it's not really something new. I had in mind to put a hint somewhere concerning the female vocals, but i skipped it. They might use them more in the future, maybe not, but it will be more of a common addition to their sound rather than something experimenting.

Written by Risto on 15.06.2011 at 19:48

Written by KwonVerge on 15.06.2011 at 19:40

They are but very few and female vocals aren't always an experimentation, such vocals have been in many bands so it's not really something new. I had in mind to put a hint somewhere concerning the female vocals, but i skipped it. They might use them more in the future, maybe not, but it will be more of a common addition to their sound rather than something experimenting.

I hate it when I get quoted BEFORE I get to edit the message

Written by Milena on 15.06.2011 at 19:35

I don't get why everyone sees Skyforger as a weaker album. It's the most wonderfully melodic piece of heaven.
As for the new album, it's quite awesome, hints at old Amorphis, and is generally the finest vocal work Joutsen has provided us with. However, if they continue with this exact style further on, it may be too much.

Written by Ag Fox on 15.06.2011 at 20:04

Written by Milena on 15.06.2011 at 19:35

I don't get why everyone sees Skyforger as a weaker album. It's the most wonderfully melodic piece of heaven.
As for the new album, it's quite awesome, hints at old Amorphis, and is generally the finest vocal work Joutsen has provided us with. However, if they continue with this exact style further on, it may be too much.

I can't agree with you more

Written by Milena on 15.06.2011 at 19:35

I don't get why everyone sees Skyforger as a weaker album. It's the most wonderfully melodic piece of heaven.
As for the new album, it's quite awesome, hints at old Amorphis, and is generally the finest vocal work Joutsen has provided us with. However, if they continue with this exact style further on, it may be too much.

Written by Guest on 15.06.2011 at 22:03

I think this album takes the best things from Eclipse, Silent Waters & Skyforger (which were more or less quite similar) and blends those with more detailed/rich melodies, sections and riffs, which reminds me of the days of Tales From The Thousand Lakes & Elegy. It's nice to see old and new living so well within the same album, in harmony.

Written by Guest on 15.06.2011 at 22:03

I think this album takes the best things from Eclipse, Silent Waters & Skyforger (which were more or less quite similar) and blends those with more detailed/rich melodies, sections and riffs, which reminds me of the days of Tales From The Thousand Lakes & Elegy. It's nice to see old and new living so well within the same album, in harmony.

Written by Ag Fox on 15.06.2011 at 20:04

Written by Milena on 15.06.2011 at 19:35

I don't get why everyone sees Skyforger as a weaker album. It's the most wonderfully melodic piece of heaven.
As for the new album, it's quite awesome, hints at old Amorphis, and is generally the finest vocal work Joutsen has provided us with. However, if they continue with this exact style further on, it may be too much.

I can't agree with you more

Written by SymphAlchemist on 19.06.2011 at 07:17

It seems to me that Battle for Light tells the same story of On Rich and Poor... Does anyone know if this is true?

Written by Risto on 19.06.2011 at 12:35

Written by SymphAlchemist on 19.06.2011 at 07:17

It seems to me that Battle for Light tells the same story of On Rich and Poor... Does anyone know if this is true?

Yes, though On Rich and Poor is from a different book partly circulating on similar themes. Moon and Sun on the Black Winter Day EP is about exactly the same thing.

Written by Risto on 19.06.2011 at 12:35

Written by SymphAlchemist on 19.06.2011 at 07:17

It seems to me that Battle for Light tells the same story of On Rich and Poor... Does anyone know if this is true?

Yes, though On Rich and Poor is from a different book partly circulating on similar themes. Moon and Sun on the Black Winter Day EP is about exactly the same thing.

Written by WorpeX on 25.06.2011 at 03:01

It's ok though, cause Amorphis doesn't write their own lyrics anyway. O_o

Written by SymphAlchemist on 27.06.2011 at 18:48

Written by WorpeX on 25.06.2011 at 03:01

It's ok though, cause Amorphis doesn't write their own lyrics anyway. O_o

Well... they do write... They just pick up ready themes and work on them.

Written by WorpeX on 27.06.2011 at 19:03


Nah, the last album i've seen that Amorphis actually wrote lyrics on is Eclipse. It states right in the album's booklet who wrote them. For this one and Skyforger, they were written by Pekka Kainulainen and then translated by Erkki Virta. Whomever they might be. Don't have Silent Waters on hand at the moment, but if I remember correctly, it was similar. Of course, Amorphis does write all the music though.

If that means better song, i'm perfectly fine with it. The two songs that an Amorphis member specifically wrote lyrics to on Eclipse were two of the weakest in my opinion (Under a Black Soil and Stone and Brother Moon).

Quote:
Two years later, Amorphis return with The Beginning Of Times and dare I say it's the more inspired and powerful little nephew of Skyforger

Written by Doc G. on 28.06.2011 at 03:24

I think you mean aimless & meandering little nephew of Skyforger.

It had some cool parts, in fact, it had some extremely cool parts. However, it fails to reach any sort of climax or height at any point in the songs or overall album. Skyforger had each song building up into something epic & awesome. This just seems like a handful of neat parts strung together with no real goal or purpose.

With Skyforger, each song you could take a step back, look at it and say "wow, what an intelligently designed song." With The Beginning Of Times it's like "Wow! That was a really cool part! Too bad they didn't make the entire song that good..."

Written by Risto on 28.06.2011 at 11:29

Funny you say that because the songs aren't structurally any more complicated than on Skyforger. For example Sampo has more distinguishable parts than Song of the Sage. Skyforger is an endless stream of hits with guitar leading the way. With this one they take a different view on their sound.

Patience, my friend. You're far from being the only one thinking like that initially.

Written by Doc G. on 28.06.2011 at 12:15

As for patience...Gave it a lot of time, more than I give most albums actually, considering how bad I wanted to here something as good as Skyforger...I just don't hear it.

Written by Doc G. on 28.06.2011 at 03:24

Quote:
Two years later, Amorphis return with The Beginning Of Times and dare I say it's the more inspired and powerful little nephew of Skyforger

I think you mean aimless & meandering little nephew of Skyforger.

It had some cool parts, in fact, it had some extremely cool parts. However, it fails to reach any sort of climax or height at any point in the songs or overall album. Skyforger had each song building up into something epic & awesome. This just seems like a handful of neat parts strung together with no real goal or purpose.

With Skyforger, each song you could take a step back, look at it and say "wow, what an intelligently designed song." With The Beginning Of Times it's like "Wow! That was a really cool part! Too bad they didn't make the entire song that good..."

Written by Dark Blood on 08.07.2011 at 07:00

I'm enjoying this album a lot. Actually that's how it's been with the last 4 Amorphis albums to me, no exceptions. I'm really pleased with this side of the band and each time I hear this I get carried away with such perfection and balance (between the musical elements and Joutsen's voice).
This album definitely deserves the attention its getting. Very good review.

EDIT:
Just a small observation about the cover... did you notice the drawing carved in the egg? Haha, nice touch