Possibly one of my most anticipated albums of 2011, second only to Wolverine's Communication Lost, The Beginning Of Times arrived a few weeks ago to much fanfare. Certainly the promotion of the album has been impressive, although I managed to avoid listening to any of the pre-released tracks so as to get a proper listen once it did arrive.
The fourth with singer Tomi Joutsen, and tenth in total, this marks something of a milestone for Amorphis. Once again it is based on the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland, this time focussing on one Väinämöinen, the iconic protagonist of the tale. Apparently born from an egg, hence the album art, he is central to Finnish mythology.
The album's sound is very similar to that of Skyforger before it, prompting many to express disappointment. Skyforger was an excellent album, so following up in the same vein seems like a good idea. The vocals have been improved, thanks to training by Marco Hietala, and some interesting twiddly bits have been added in the form of some very 80s synth sounds.
The synths certainly don't fade into the background. Whenever they start I'm immediately reminded of movies of the 80s, all neon lights and wailing keyboards. They certainly give the album something of a different feel to Skyforger. When all is said and done, I can't be disappointed in this album. The songs are strong, they stick in the mind.
I'm concerned they gave away some of the better material as freebies, though. My Enemy is certainly one of my favourite tracks, and that was available for a few weeks before the album. The award for most completely surprising track is probably Crack In A Stone. It has one of the jolliest riffs I've ever heard outside of Scottish Pirate Metal, and yet still manages to fit in with the album and sound like a proper Amorphis track.
So in summary, a good album that I am enjoying listening to. It does sound a little like Skyforger Part 2, though, so if you were expecting something new and revolutionary, you might not be blown away by it. If you've never heard Skyforger, have a listen, but then go and listen to Skyforger as well! It is absolutely mandatory. I even went out and bought a copy of the Kalevala so I could try and figure out what this, and the preceding three, albums are about. It's a hefty tome, so I'll report back when I find the time!
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