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Amorphis - Rock Café, Tallinn, Estonia, 09.10.2014


Event: Amorphis: European Northeast Fall Tour 2014
Written by: Ivor
Published: 25.10.2014

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Amorphis - Rock Café, Tallinn, Estonia, 09.10.2014 by Ivor (34)


Amorphis seem to swing by Estonia regularly enough in recent times that I'm slowly starting to lose count of how many times I've seen them play. With a little jog down memory lane, I've come to the conclusion that this concert was the 5th for me, and my 4th in Estonia. However, since Amorphis have put on a good show every time so far, I saw no real reason to skip. If nothing else, it would've made for a fine evening out, despite the lecture at 8 the following morning.





So far, Amorphis have stepped up in Estonia in various conditions. They've played with and without support as well as made a festival appearance. Last time I saw them, they had Leprous playing warm-up who were almost but not quite out-performing Amorphis. That surely was a close call. So, naturally, I was hoping for a similarly intense gig and hopes, though frail, were laid on Goresoerd to match the headliner.

To be frank, I've no real idea what Goresoerd were doing there. Supporting the local scene I can understand, but given the music, it didn't really fit. Of what I know, they started out about a decade ago as a sort of grind/death band and evolved into something more melodic, but so far I've been able to inadvertently avoid their performances. Technically these guys are good and I could see myself trying out their stuff if not for those vocals... that puts me off their music in no time. Something about the mix of it all doesn't sit right with me. Props for doing it in Estonian, though.






Amorphis: Tomi Joutsen

When Amorphis hit the stage, I was having two-fold feelings about it. On the one hand, it was the same Amorphis I've seen a number of times. It seems that just like their recent albums are coined by following the same high-quality formulae, their shows also seem to have a lot of the same flavour all over again. I mean, without fundamental changes to the source not much is going to change in the end result on stage; similarly sounding albums are going to produce similar emotions on stage that don't change from show to show or tour to tour.

You might say there's a certain lack of novelty about this show as far as recent material is concerned. Some songs stood out more, some less. I admit that I'll always be partial to Eclipse, as it was what got me into Amorphis, but "The Wanderer" from Circle isn't far behind. The most surprising moment came just six songs into the set when the band suddenly left the stage. I remember thinking back then that if this was the pause before the encore, it's turning out to be one lousily short set. However, the brief interlude was done to emphasise the 20th anniversary of Tales from the Thousand Lakes, with the following "Drowned Maid." Frankly, I actually welcomed the older songs as I'm far less familiar with those and they introduced a change in the overall dynamics and sound of the show.

Set list:
1. Hopeless Days (Circle)
2. Narrow Path (Circle)
3. Silver Bride (Skyforger)
4. The Smoke (Eclipse)
5. Brother Moon (Eclipse)
6. The Wanderer (Circle)
7. Drowned Maid (Tales from the Thousand Lakes)
8. Weaving the Incantation (Silent Waters)
9. Against Widows (Elegy)
10. Majestic Beast (Skyforger)
11. Silent Waters (Silent Waters)
12. My Kantele (Elegy)
Encore:
13. From the Heaven of My Heart (Skyforger)
14. Sky Is Mine (Skyforger)
15. House of Sleep (Eclipse)

As I said, on the one hand it was the same Amorphis - the power of the band and their music was present in the show. On the other hand, though, it was lacking in the intensity department. There were moments when it came across quite a bit flat. It's not the kind of flatness that you find when the musicians are utterly bored. No, that's not the case with Amorphis. I think it has something to do with routine. When the performances are run in well, the band can enjoy their presence on stage but sparks can go missing. Maybe it's like with their albums; it's all too settled in the comfort zone.



So, while the show was good, I'm left with a somewhat sour impression. One of the reasons is that I've seen them deliver a performance with a lot more intensity and power, even if I can't really pinpoint what exactly was the difference. However, a couple of times I was thinking: "Ah, man, Tomi used to swing those dreads in full circles!" These were the "grass-was-greener" kind of thoughts but there's a grain of truth to them; the level was just not as high as in some previous shows.








Written on 25.10.2014 by I shoot people.

Sometimes, I also write about it.

And one day I'm going to start a band. We're going to be playing pun-rock.


Comments

Comments: 6   Visited by: 88 users
25.10.2014 - 17:20
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Was My Kantele acoustic or original version ... good set list one of band what we can say ehh new album not as old one, but after listen it 2-3 times you start to like it
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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25.10.2014 - 17:29
Ivor
Staff
Written by Bad English on 25.10.2014 at 17:20

Was My Kantele acoustic or original version ...

The new one. The photo of Esa with acoustic guitar was the start of "My Kantele" if I remember correctly.

I.
----
No friends for playing games
No foes who scorn my name
Computerized machines of steel and rust
/---/
No friends in my house on Mars
No foes in my house on Mars
I was born in my house on Mars
I will die in my house on Mars
-- Ayreon - My House on Mars
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25.10.2014 - 17:38
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Written by Ivor on 25.10.2014 at 17:29

Written by Bad English on 25.10.2014 at 17:20

Was My Kantele acoustic or original version ...

The new one. The photo of Esa with acoustic guitar was the start of "My Kantele" if I remember correctly.

I.


then there are 3 versions original electric, acoustic from same album and then 2013 something
----
Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
Loading...
25.10.2014 - 18:37
Risto
Wandering Midget
The version of My Kantele that they've recently been performing was actually premiered at the famous Opera Festival in Savonlinna this year. It's mostly acoustic but brings in the heavy finish from the original version. Also, the "Thousand Lakes" intermission is nothing new and isn't directly related to the 20th anniversary. It's there to give a bit of a breather I guess.

Also looks like you got by far the most routined setlist compared to what they've been playing recently. "Against Widows" is a staple and it replaced "Weeper on the Shore" here, which hadn't been played in 17 years prior to this tour leg.
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25.10.2014 - 18:50
Netzach
Planewalker
Have they stopped playing songs from 1st album by now? A few years ago you'd always hear Exile of the Sons of Uisliu or Sign from the North Side at their gigs. I like their new style but them olde songs really bring the dynamics! Haven't seen them myself since Silent Waters tour though...
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26.10.2014 - 11:02
musclassia

^I saw them for the first time last december and they played Vulgar Necrolatry, so unless they've had a change of heart in the last year they still seem willing to dabble in the first album.

This setlist generally looks pretty neat, between Brother Moon, Majestic Beast, and some actual stuff from Silent Waters, which was suspiciously absent when I saw them. Still, they're not a band that necessarily inspires an energetic audience, or do much outside of play the songs well and with conviction, so I can imagine the experience getting a tad stale if repeated so regularly and if you don't feel like they've brought their A-game.
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