Progressive Rock from the Underworld - (4.5 Stars)
Sunshine the Werewolf | Canada | 02/18/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"AMORPHIS - Tuonela
-
Evolution is a dangerous thing for many bands, especially when your transition changes you from a Death Metal band into a Prog-Rock band. Criticisms are bound to be made, mainly by those evil metal purists. Luckily for myself I explored Amorphis with an open mind, getting Thousand Lakes, Elegy, Tuonela all at once. Personally I love this music... It's good Progressive Rock & Roll without the guilt of listening to generic mainstream garbage (A la Matchbox 20.)
73 Reviews and not one play by play... so here it is:
-This CD opens `The Way' which has Gilmore-esc guitar work, and comes across as almost sounding a bit like the great Porcupine Tree. Perfect opener... this song just grabs your attention.
-Track 2 is `Morning Star' which has an almost doom-inspired Rock feel blended with some 90's era grunge.
-`Nightfall' opens with some horns, which sound amazing... It also has big middle-eastern vibe which makes the track even more beautiful.
-Fourth is the title track which has a ridiculously catchy chorus and some more spacey Gilmore-esc guitar work.
-Now as much as I'm praising the prog-side of Amorphis, my favorite track is easily track five `Greed'. Mr. Akerfeldt steps in to do some of his trademark growls which blend perfectly with the raunchy guitar riff. In fact just about anything Mikeal Akerfeldt touches is pure gold.
-`Divinity' is the next track, which has, yet another, infectious chorus. It has a really cool solo (Almost sounds like a slowed down Children of Bodom solo.) and even chucks in a few little growls for good measure.
-`Shining' has some beautiful melodic guitar work, though the chorus seems a bit similar to some of the earlier tracks it flows well within context of the album.
-Track eight is `Withered' which returns with the middle-eastern vibe mixed with some great progressive rock, this song is probably the most beautiful track on the entire album.
-`Rusty Moon' digs deeply into the folk traditions and even includes some really amazing flute work another. Progression is a wonderful thing, especially when you can pull it off like this.
-The closer, `Summer's End' is a nice somber ending to the CD... this song probably wouldn't have fit anywhere else on the album, but the subtle build works great as the albums closer.
Recommended for Fans of Porcupine Tree, or any other modern Prog-Rock bands... Also for open minded fans of older Amorphis. Sure it may be stripped down a bit and lacking the growls we all love so much... but if you listen based on this material alone it is an amazing CD.
Favorite Songs: Greed, Withered, Morning Star and The Way.
-4.5 Stars.
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Perhaps their best
Tom Z | USA | 08/31/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Amorphis's Tuonala, a very controversial album indeed. Maybe writing a review for this is pointless since everyone seems to have a differing opinion, but I'll give it a shot though. This is where they changed from Death metal to more melodic metal. All songs feature clean vox and only one song has death vox on it. This is just fine with me, Pasi has improved a lot at singing since Tales From the Thousand Lakes and while the death vox were awesome too they were more restrictive than helpful to Amorphis's sound. As for the music it's almost the same as Elegy. Just a bit more mellow and more atmospheric. The best comparision I could think of would be Draconian Times era Paradise Lost, only a bit more wispy sounding. They also use a lot more intruments that aren't typical for metal on this album, flute, saxophone, sitar. I don't think these were neccassary but they don't hurt the album in any major way either. In my eyes Tuonela ranks up there with the best from Katatonia's later stuff, Anathema, Paradise Lost and all the other bands that make similar music. This is one of my favorite Amorphis albums and may even be their best. Like I said before though, everyone seems to have their own opinion about it so it would probably be benifical to listen to it before purchasing it."
A Definite Change in Sound - Still Great
Dan Solera | Chicago, IL USA | 02/06/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Tuonela, although a dramatic change from 1996's Elegy, was foreshadowed in their My Kantele release, a 5-track EP featuring the two-part "The Brother Slayer". Equal parts death-metal and 70's prog-rock, the band was showcasing a new sound that would later dominate their forthcoming albums.
With only one track featuring death-metal grunts, the raw "Greed", Pasi Koskinen has taken over the role of primary vocalist. The album was received with mixed opinions by fans, but lauded by critics. This is only natural - critics applauded the creative maturity, but fans were shocked by the tremendous shift from death-metal to retrogressive rock. Songs such as "Nightfall" are decorated by saxophones and a whimsical flute makes an appearance on "Rusty Moon", one of the album's standout tracks. Despite the changes, the album still has its hard-rockers. The opening track "The Way" has hints of Elegy-esque melodies and vocal arrangements, while "Divinity" is the new sound's aggressive style.
Although the album has its great selections, it does have its formulaic, repetitive pieces that add little to the mix ("Summer's End" for example). To separate the album more from its predecessors, the lyrics are new, band-written (as opposed to the Finnish poems from which the band derived their previous albums' lyrics). The album is no longer the melodic thrash that characterized the band's most prized creations, but it is still worth a listen. For its creative merits (and stunning stand-outs), Tuonela is greatly appreciated.
See also: Amorphis - Am Universum, Green Carnation - A Blessing in Disguise
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Songs from the underworld
Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 07/16/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Following Amorphis' amazing Elegy album, a curious mix of psychedelic sounds, folk, and death metal, the band decided to leave their death metal roots behind, and enlist Pasi Koskinen as the only vocalist utilising clean vocals. Thus, Tuonela ("Underworld" in Finnish) marked the start of a new era for the band, where they explored more folky sounds blending them with Floydian soundscapes and timeless melodies.
Tuonela presents a more focused songwriting vision, functioning as a perfect transition from the band's new-found progressive roots on Elegy to a more stripped down yet more original sound. It hints at a development of the band's Middle Eastern ideas in songs like "Nightfall" and "Greed". Actually the beautiful synth solo and saxophone on "Nightfall" would later be perfected on Am Universum; however, "Greed" is a quite curious piece, being the only song featuring death growls and interesting percussion and sitar sounds from Tomi Koivusaari. These two songs are tied together by the amazing title track "Tuonela", complete with strong vocal melodies, ominous guitar and keyboard work, and a great piano coda along with fitting saxophone, courtesy of Sakari Kukko. The keyboard player on this album was Santeri Kallio performing as a guest, but he would become a full-time member by their next release, and thus play a more vital role in the overall songwriting.
The more straightforward "Morning Star" is chock full of hard rock guitars and 70's organ amidst boomy bass grooves. Likewise, "Shining" and "Withered" are among the fast-paced numbers in that they are both guitar-friendly compositions, highlighted by lots of wah pedals, ringing notes, and catchy riffs. That said, "Withered", despite its exotic leanings and sparkling keyboards, does seem to drag on a bit. It's actually a good song, but Amorphis would learn to hone their future material and craft songs with more variety. On the other hand, "Divinity" is a nod to their love for Floydian psychedelia which allows them to throw us plenty of Moog and guitar leads.
"Rusty Moon", complete with prominent flute sounds, is the most folky work on Tuonela, evoking their Elegy period without relying on any death growls. With all that said, the most experimental pieces on the album are the first song "The Way" and perhaps the album closer "Summer's End". The most melodic and modern-sounding cut, "The Way" begins with shimmering electronic sounds planted under an organic guitar and keyboard hybrid. This song was easily their bravest moment given their extreme metal roots: they employed slow, psychedelic elements and married them into effect-laden guitar contexts. At the same time, special attention was given to big choruses emphasizing Koskinen's uniquely melodic vocals. They played both Moog and rock-styled guitars that were comparatively denser and served to achieve atmosphere rather than monumental death metal riffage.
Of the three Amorphis discs with Pasi Koskinen on lead vocals, Tuonela may be the best. While there are some better songs with creative ideas on Am Universum, such as "Alone" and "Crimson Wave", Tuonela is decidedly a more complete album. It features more guitar work whereas Am Universum is a jazzier and even more psychedelic effort. I feel Far from the Sun was the lowpoint of Amorphis' career which led to the departure of Koskinen, but it's a still worth a listen if you've heard all other Amorphis releases and enjoyed them one way or another."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1
