Nuclear Blast
Rating: 6/10
Finland’s folkmetallers Amorphis have abandoned their Death Metal background to turn into a sophisticated Folk Metal. Though vocalisms are mostly growlings, the Death Metal feeling is nearly unexistant. It would be incredible for anyone who ever listened to “The Karelian Isthmus” to guess that “Elegy” has been released by the same band. The songs are all inspired by the Kanteletar, a Finnish poems book (I think) that accompanies “The Kalevala”, which is Finland’s natinal polebook and on which Amorphis based their previous work “Tales From The Thousand Lakes”. The most remarkable songs are undoubtly “Elegy”, “Weeper on the shore” and “My Kantele”. The album also includes in the end an acoustic version of “My Kantele”. Musically you can see the 70s’ influence on the Finns, because at this album they play Metal slowly and heavily, yet melodyc, very melodyc. The problem is that Amorphis’ melodies on this CD aren’t as good as they used to be in their previous works. Lyrics are a bit cheesy, coz they are no way epic but sweet, like children folktales, so honestly some make me laugh. Not bad, but Amorphis have done better things.