Nuclear Blast
2009
1. Sampo
2. Silver Bride
3. From the Heaven of My Heart
4. Sky is Mine
5. Majestic Beast
6. My Sun
7. Highest Star
8. Skyforger
9. Course of Fate
10. From Earth I Rose
Skyforger marks the third album from Amorphis since the vocalist swap to Tomi Joutsen and the stylistic shift the band has taken. Of course, stylistic changes are not a new thing to Amorphis and their name has suited them. The band has seemed to have settled into something of a more gothic vein since the vocalist change however.
Skyforger picks up in very much this vein, but reminds me more of Eclipse than Silent Waters. The death vocals have very much taken a backseat again where as they seemed more dominant on Silent Waters. There are moments and some songs have more growls than others, but really the band seems to be leaning far more on smooth gothic atmospheres and powerful emotive vocal deliveries than aggression. This is ok with me as the album has a lot of great melodies and the finnish folk touch they have become known for. Really I don't have too much to complain about regarding this album. Maybe this isn't as creative as Amorphis at their experimental peak of Tounela and Am Universum, but there is some pretty memorable songwriting, especially early on in the album. I do notice this album seems to have packed it's most memorable, single worthy songs at the front of the album as labels tend to push for. Hook them early is the idea. I don't sense any weak tracks, but if all the songs were as incredibly powerful as tunes like Silver Bride and Sky Is Mine then you'd see a higher rating. Silver Bride in particular is a song of the year candidate as it's heavy, energetic, and has some awesome vocal deliveries.
Overall, this is another strong effort from Amorphis. I think some people were ready to count them out when Pasi left the band, but they really have been able to find a rhythm with Tomi. As usual, I look forward to more from this band in the future. I would recommend this album to fans of smooth, flowing gothic metal. Finland as a country does seem to excel in this area.
Highlights: Silver Bride, Sky Is Mine, Sampo, From The Heaven Of My Heart
Rating - 4.0/5
2. Silver Bride
3. From the Heaven of My Heart
4. Sky is Mine
5. Majestic Beast
6. My Sun
7. Highest Star
8. Skyforger
9. Course of Fate
10. From Earth I Rose
Skyforger marks the third album from Amorphis since the vocalist swap to Tomi Joutsen and the stylistic shift the band has taken. Of course, stylistic changes are not a new thing to Amorphis and their name has suited them. The band has seemed to have settled into something of a more gothic vein since the vocalist change however.
Skyforger picks up in very much this vein, but reminds me more of Eclipse than Silent Waters. The death vocals have very much taken a backseat again where as they seemed more dominant on Silent Waters. There are moments and some songs have more growls than others, but really the band seems to be leaning far more on smooth gothic atmospheres and powerful emotive vocal deliveries than aggression. This is ok with me as the album has a lot of great melodies and the finnish folk touch they have become known for. Really I don't have too much to complain about regarding this album. Maybe this isn't as creative as Amorphis at their experimental peak of Tounela and Am Universum, but there is some pretty memorable songwriting, especially early on in the album. I do notice this album seems to have packed it's most memorable, single worthy songs at the front of the album as labels tend to push for. Hook them early is the idea. I don't sense any weak tracks, but if all the songs were as incredibly powerful as tunes like Silver Bride and Sky Is Mine then you'd see a higher rating. Silver Bride in particular is a song of the year candidate as it's heavy, energetic, and has some awesome vocal deliveries.
Overall, this is another strong effort from Amorphis. I think some people were ready to count them out when Pasi left the band, but they really have been able to find a rhythm with Tomi. As usual, I look forward to more from this band in the future. I would recommend this album to fans of smooth, flowing gothic metal. Finland as a country does seem to excel in this area.
Highlights: Silver Bride, Sky Is Mine, Sampo, From The Heaven Of My Heart
Rating - 4.0/5
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