Style: Melodic/progressive death metal
Primary Emotions/Themes: Revisiting the great music of yesteryear with new eyes
Thoughts: Two things I dislike: rerecorded albums/songs and compilation albums. Why the fuck is this record in my collection then?
About ten years ago as of this writing Amorphis decided to revisit some of their classic era songs with their "new" vocalist. When I first heard about the album I brushed it off almost immediately, why record old songs when you can just make a new album? The last three albums had all been incredible, so why stop that momentum?
Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I pulled up the album on Spotify for a listen while at work. Two things immediately came to mind. One, wow Tomi's vocal's work really well with the old music. Two, these are not 1:1 re-recordings of the songs, there are minor changes.
The songs are still instantly recognizable, however the production has been updated to be more modern. The only songs that this is truly a benefit to is those coming from Tales from the Thousand lakes. I found the production on that album to be a little thin. The songs off of the debut lack the grittiness that The Karelian Isthmus had. The cleaner sound doesn't really benefit them. Elegy is pretty much a wash, I prefer the production on the original but it's passable here as well.
Where the album shines though is the vocals. Nothing against Tomi Koivusaari's vocals (which are one of the more distinct growls I've ever heard), Joutsen's vocals are flat out better. They have a stronger presence to them, they rumble in the depths of my core, and they are clear as daylight. They fit the music nearly perfectly, and it's a pure joy to listen to.
One of my favorite songs from the band - The Castaway - has been improved over the original in several ways here. One, the production brings out the power that the song has live. The vocals again... just... chef's kiss. This works together with a slightly faster pacing to create a more intense version of an Amorphis classic.
My Kantele is also changed up a bit from the album version. The reprise is built into the outro to the song, and we are graced with a two minute sitar solo... one of my favorite things from Elegy. The song itself retains much of the original structure and feel until the reprise comes in... nothing wrong with that in the slightest. It's a fucking great song.
I am happy to say that I was wrong about this album. These thirteen tracks are great. They are a combined best of with a tasteful re-recording. Amorphis continued the streak they had going with this, Skyforger was perhaps their best album ever and they followed it up with the ultimate tribute to their past.
Written April 15th 2024
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