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Privilege of Evil (1991)
Privilege of Evil was technically released near the end of 1993, but this material was recorded in 1991 and features the two songs from the Amorphis 7" as well as other tracks recorded during the same session. For whatever reason, the band members were upset when this entire thing saw the light of day, though understandable since they were rapidly changing into something hardly recognizeable. Originally supposed to be released as a split with Incantation, this E.P. was eventually released on its own by Relapse.
To put it simply, this is the best thing Amorphis ever did. This is pure death metal with a very dark and evil feeling. Throughout the songs, there are various blasting sections that alternate with slower, epic bits that help instill a feeling of doom. The vocals are of that deeper, almost belched, style that several Finnish bands seemed to utilize but it works here. The sound is very rough around the edges compared to everything that came after, but still sounds just as professional as any other death metal record from that time period. Some of these songs were re-recorded for the band's first L.P. and those versions are inferior in every way and completely lose the ominous feeling present here.
As good as Privilege of Evil is, it's also frustrating to get this small glimpse into what could have been. Why on earth did these guys decide to wimp out so badly? Even with The Karelian Isthmus, they cleaned things up just enough to sacrifice the evil and sinister atmosphere that they created with these old songs. Had they stuck with this style for even a little while longer, they could have made a classic album or two. At least Relapse Records did the right thing and released this when they did, rather than letting it languish in obscurity. If you want truly dark and masterful death metal in the Swedish/Finnish style, make sure to listen to this.
To put it simply, this is the best thing Amorphis ever did. This is pure death metal with a very dark and evil feeling. Throughout the songs, there are various blasting sections that alternate with slower, epic bits that help instill a feeling of doom. The vocals are of that deeper, almost belched, style that several Finnish bands seemed to utilize but it works here. The sound is very rough around the edges compared to everything that came after, but still sounds just as professional as any other death metal record from that time period. Some of these songs were re-recorded for the band's first L.P. and those versions are inferior in every way and completely lose the ominous feeling present here.
As good as Privilege of Evil is, it's also frustrating to get this small glimpse into what could have been. Why on earth did these guys decide to wimp out so badly? Even with The Karelian Isthmus, they cleaned things up just enough to sacrifice the evil and sinister atmosphere that they created with these old songs. Had they stuck with this style for even a little while longer, they could have made a classic album or two. At least Relapse Records did the right thing and released this when they did, rather than letting it languish in obscurity. If you want truly dark and masterful death metal in the Swedish/Finnish style, make sure to listen to this.
(28 Mar. 2025)
The Karelian Isthmus (1992)
Released in November 1992, The Karelian Isthmus is the first full-length from the Finnish death metal band, Amorphis. In fact, it ended up being the only 'pure' record of this style that they ever made. Like a lot of bands of this era, they were quick to abandon the harsher sounds of underground metal within a relatively short time. Nonetheless, their brief stay in this darker realm produced some solid material.
The Karelian Isthmus was recorded at Studio Sunlight, so it certainly shares some similarities with the Swedish sound of the early '90s. The production is cleaner than that of the Privilege of Evil E.P. but still retains a bit of an edge, for sure. That wouldn't be lost until the following release. Skogsberg did a good job with this, as the sound suits the music about as well as could be asked, even if the aforementioned E.P. had a more raw, underground feeling.
The songwriting is inconsistent, at times. There are a lot of great doom riffs thrown in, and it is during these slower parts that the band manages to create a dark, epic atmosphere. Songs such as "The Gathering" and "The Lost Name of God" are good examples of this and probably the best songs on here. "Vulgar Necrolatry" is another one of the better tracks, and it is here where one can really compare The Karelian Isthmus with its predecessor, since this is a re-recording. Come to think of it, the double bass is a little less annoying on the L.P. version. Speaking of which, this technique is utilized too much and is too high in the mix. It only serves to obscure things during the faster sections. It's bad enough that most of the blasting parts are generic and seem interchangeable, but one cannot even get a full grasp on the riffs due to the irritating bass drums.
There is definitely no evil feeling conveyed by any of this, as was found on previous songs like "Privilege of Evil". Still, the slower riffs do well to create a sense of dread and impending doom. The more melodic parts are hit and miss, sometimes working within the context of a song and occasionally failing, miserably. The bits inspired by Iron Maiden definitely needed to be removed before actually recording a full-length, as they do not fit at all.
Overall, The Karelian Isthmus is not a classic album, but it is well worth a listen. The best parts are quite good, even if the rest often runs together. There is nothing here that is just awful or difficult to tolerate, as with Tales from the Thousand Lakes. Had Amorphis stuck with this style, they might have done a better job down the line, but these kids were merely passing through the underground on their way to something else. At any rate, fans of old school Swedish and Finnish death metal will likely appreciate at least some parts of this.
The Karelian Isthmus was recorded at Studio Sunlight, so it certainly shares some similarities with the Swedish sound of the early '90s. The production is cleaner than that of the Privilege of Evil E.P. but still retains a bit of an edge, for sure. That wouldn't be lost until the following release. Skogsberg did a good job with this, as the sound suits the music about as well as could be asked, even if the aforementioned E.P. had a more raw, underground feeling.
The songwriting is inconsistent, at times. There are a lot of great doom riffs thrown in, and it is during these slower parts that the band manages to create a dark, epic atmosphere. Songs such as "The Gathering" and "The Lost Name of God" are good examples of this and probably the best songs on here. "Vulgar Necrolatry" is another one of the better tracks, and it is here where one can really compare The Karelian Isthmus with its predecessor, since this is a re-recording. Come to think of it, the double bass is a little less annoying on the L.P. version. Speaking of which, this technique is utilized too much and is too high in the mix. It only serves to obscure things during the faster sections. It's bad enough that most of the blasting parts are generic and seem interchangeable, but one cannot even get a full grasp on the riffs due to the irritating bass drums.
There is definitely no evil feeling conveyed by any of this, as was found on previous songs like "Privilege of Evil". Still, the slower riffs do well to create a sense of dread and impending doom. The more melodic parts are hit and miss, sometimes working within the context of a song and occasionally failing, miserably. The bits inspired by Iron Maiden definitely needed to be removed before actually recording a full-length, as they do not fit at all.
Overall, The Karelian Isthmus is not a classic album, but it is well worth a listen. The best parts are quite good, even if the rest often runs together. There is nothing here that is just awful or difficult to tolerate, as with Tales from the Thousand Lakes. Had Amorphis stuck with this style, they might have done a better job down the line, but these kids were merely passing through the underground on their way to something else. At any rate, fans of old school Swedish and Finnish death metal will likely appreciate at least some parts of this.
(14 Oct. 2013)
Tales from the Thousand Lakes (1994)
Amorphis released their sophomore album in September 1994. Recorded one year earlier, again at Studio Sunlight, Tales from the Thousand Lakes is pretty much unlike anything else that was being done at the time. While their first effort mixed in a fair amount of pure death metal alongside the doom riffs and melodic bits, there is very little of that here. What one can expect to find here is an album that blends influences from death metal, doom and folk music, as well as some other things of which I am likely ignorant. I once read that the band had already 'matured' so much by this point that they felt awkward to still utilize the harsh vocals style, as if they were somehow beyond that. In other words, they were becoming pretentious pricks. Thankfully, they didn't completely succumb to their fruity nature until the following record and still managed to release a solid, yet flawed, album in Tales from the Thousand Lakes.
At its best moments, this album is quite atmospheric and definitely matches the beautiful cover art. Right from the start, the sombre piano intro sets the tone, accentuated by the slow, doomy riffs found on tracks like "Into Hiding" and "First Doom" (the best song on here). You can still hear the Swedish death metal influence, at times. The guitar sound is heavy but there are no rough edges whatsoever. The album is filled with very memorable and epic riffs that do a great job at creating a gloomy atmosphere. The folk-inspired melodies do work, best exemplified by "The Castaway", andt here are even thrashier riffs here and there, such as on "Drowned Maid" and "To Father's Cabin". That said, the slower and more epic moments are where this albums really shines. It had a lot of potential and could have been a classic. Speaking of "To Father's Cabin", here is a song that starts strong and then just goes to hell with annoying clean voices (this isn't even singing) and a suffocating amount of keyboard nonsense. I should absolutely hate this record, but I suppose a bit of nostalgia clouds my opinion. Tales from the Thousand Lakes was my introduction to this Finnish band. After some concert, I was riding in the back of my friend's car and very tired, just looking up through the window and gazing at the moon while the cassette played. The windows were open, so the cold air was blowing on me and the whole thing was sort of relaxing. However, to be somewhat objective, it has to be said that these kids went overboard with the keyboards, clean vocals and even tambourine(!) to the point of nearly ruining this album. I don't know if they were doing drugs or listening to too much '70s prog rock, but these elements had no place here. "In the Beginning" demonstrates how the cheesy keyboards can just completely ruin what is an otherwise good song, taking something that was sorrowful and epic and just cutting it off at the knees. "Black Winter Day" is easily the worst track on the album, just awful and too up-tempo. I don't understand how this was such a popular song as to warrant its own E.P. the following year.
If you can get past its flaws (and maybe skip a couple tracks entirely), Tales From the Thousand Lakes is a solid enough album for anyone that might be looking for something more atmospheric and moody. It is absolutely not for death metal purists, or even fans of classic death/doom, for that matter. It is an acquired taste and I severely doubt that I would have even given it a chance if not for the manner in which I was introduced to it and whatever mental associations that were created. If you want some epic, gloomy riffs in the Swedish/Finnish style and can manage to get past the garbage elements, there is enough worthwhile material on here to at least give it a chance.
At its best moments, this album is quite atmospheric and definitely matches the beautiful cover art. Right from the start, the sombre piano intro sets the tone, accentuated by the slow, doomy riffs found on tracks like "Into Hiding" and "First Doom" (the best song on here). You can still hear the Swedish death metal influence, at times. The guitar sound is heavy but there are no rough edges whatsoever. The album is filled with very memorable and epic riffs that do a great job at creating a gloomy atmosphere. The folk-inspired melodies do work, best exemplified by "The Castaway", andt here are even thrashier riffs here and there, such as on "Drowned Maid" and "To Father's Cabin". That said, the slower and more epic moments are where this albums really shines. It had a lot of potential and could have been a classic. Speaking of "To Father's Cabin", here is a song that starts strong and then just goes to hell with annoying clean voices (this isn't even singing) and a suffocating amount of keyboard nonsense. I should absolutely hate this record, but I suppose a bit of nostalgia clouds my opinion. Tales from the Thousand Lakes was my introduction to this Finnish band. After some concert, I was riding in the back of my friend's car and very tired, just looking up through the window and gazing at the moon while the cassette played. The windows were open, so the cold air was blowing on me and the whole thing was sort of relaxing. However, to be somewhat objective, it has to be said that these kids went overboard with the keyboards, clean vocals and even tambourine(!) to the point of nearly ruining this album. I don't know if they were doing drugs or listening to too much '70s prog rock, but these elements had no place here. "In the Beginning" demonstrates how the cheesy keyboards can just completely ruin what is an otherwise good song, taking something that was sorrowful and epic and just cutting it off at the knees. "Black Winter Day" is easily the worst track on the album, just awful and too up-tempo. I don't understand how this was such a popular song as to warrant its own E.P. the following year.
If you can get past its flaws (and maybe skip a couple tracks entirely), Tales From the Thousand Lakes is a solid enough album for anyone that might be looking for something more atmospheric and moody. It is absolutely not for death metal purists, or even fans of classic death/doom, for that matter. It is an acquired taste and I severely doubt that I would have even given it a chance if not for the manner in which I was introduced to it and whatever mental associations that were created. If you want some epic, gloomy riffs in the Swedish/Finnish style and can manage to get past the garbage elements, there is enough worthwhile material on here to at least give it a chance.
(4 Aug. 2009)
Black Winter Day (1995)
In January 1995, Amorphis followed up on the success of Tales From the Thousand Lakes with the Black Winter Day E.P. In a way, it seemed that their musical transition had already been decided upon. This release would serve as an epitaph for the early period of Amorphis. After this, they would continue to 'progress' toward something quite far from their roots.
The title track is garbage, unless you're into upbeat, cheesy keyboards and terrible clean vocals. It was the second-worst song on the previous L.P. Thankfully, the rest of the material on this release is much better. "Folk of the North" is a somber instrumental that begins with a piano. It is sooned joined by the guitars, bass and drums. Much like the material on the last full-length, this has a peaceful atmosphere and wouldn't have been out of place among those songs, really. The next song, "Moon and Sun", is a bit more straight-forward. There is still some utilization of the keyboard, though it is implemented in creating a darker feeling than on other songs. The guitar riffs possess the same epic nature as is found on the two previous albums, causing one to wonder whether or not this was a leftover track. Judging by the lyrics, it would appear so. If it was passed up, my guess is that this decision was based more of time constraints rather than quality, as this is a very good song.
"Moon and Sun Pt. II: North's Son" starts with an eerie keyboard effect, though the song is a bit more uptempo than its predecessor, once it actually begins. As with the last one, the vocals are all done in the death metal style, being deep and almost more reminiscent of The Karelian Isthmus than Tales From the Thousand Lakes. The speed has increased a bit, as well. During the latter half of the song, the pace slows down and nothing is left but a piano and the drums. This hearkens back to the intro from the last album. Once the guitars return, the pace picks up, slightly, as the song finishes out.
Black Winter Day is a fitting manner to say goodbye to the first era of Amorphis and to begin the new one with a clean slate; i.e. no leftover songs from the past. The material here is just as good as anything found on the previous full-length, which is easily noticed due to the inclusion of a song from that L.P. For people such as myself, this is also a good point at which to close the book on this band, as they subsequently transformed into something quite different.
The title track is garbage, unless you're into upbeat, cheesy keyboards and terrible clean vocals. It was the second-worst song on the previous L.P. Thankfully, the rest of the material on this release is much better. "Folk of the North" is a somber instrumental that begins with a piano. It is sooned joined by the guitars, bass and drums. Much like the material on the last full-length, this has a peaceful atmosphere and wouldn't have been out of place among those songs, really. The next song, "Moon and Sun", is a bit more straight-forward. There is still some utilization of the keyboard, though it is implemented in creating a darker feeling than on other songs. The guitar riffs possess the same epic nature as is found on the two previous albums, causing one to wonder whether or not this was a leftover track. Judging by the lyrics, it would appear so. If it was passed up, my guess is that this decision was based more of time constraints rather than quality, as this is a very good song.
"Moon and Sun Pt. II: North's Son" starts with an eerie keyboard effect, though the song is a bit more uptempo than its predecessor, once it actually begins. As with the last one, the vocals are all done in the death metal style, being deep and almost more reminiscent of The Karelian Isthmus than Tales From the Thousand Lakes. The speed has increased a bit, as well. During the latter half of the song, the pace slows down and nothing is left but a piano and the drums. This hearkens back to the intro from the last album. Once the guitars return, the pace picks up, slightly, as the song finishes out.
Black Winter Day is a fitting manner to say goodbye to the first era of Amorphis and to begin the new one with a clean slate; i.e. no leftover songs from the past. The material here is just as good as anything found on the previous full-length, which is easily noticed due to the inclusion of a song from that L.P. For people such as myself, this is also a good point at which to close the book on this band, as they subsequently transformed into something quite different.
(7 Aug. 2009)
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