Amorphis

Amorphis are a metal group from Helsinki, Finland, active since 1990. The band begins with Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari and Esa Holopainen, and over time its line-up and sound change significantly while the group remains associated with death metal, death-doom metal, folk metal, melodic death metal, progressive metal and metal more broadly.

History and style

The band starts out as a death metal act and then develops a more complex style that brings together doom metal, folk elements and progressive rock influences. Their lyrics draw heavily on the Finnish national epic Kalevala, which becomes one of their best-known features. Their early period includes brutal death metal material, but the music gradually moves towards more melodic and progressive forms, with increasingly intricate arrangements and a less extreme sound.

Before Amorphis forms, Jan Rechberger and Esa Holopainen play in the speed metal band Violent Solution in 1989, while Tomi Koivusaari has previously left Abhorrence to form a death metal band. In early 1990 Koivusaari joins Amorphis on vocals, and Olli-Pekka Laine becomes the bassist. Koivusaari is also asked to take on rhythm guitar, and the group starts again with a new set of original songs.

Albums and development

Amorphis releases The Karelian Isthmus in 1992, described as an early death metal release, and later issues the original demo as the Privilege Of Evil EP. The band’s experimentation with folk, doom metal and progressive rock shapes Tales from the Thousand Lakes in 1994, which becomes a key melodic death metal release. Their progressive direction becomes clearer on Elegy in 1996, and by Tuonela in 1999 the death metal roots and Kalevala focus are much less prominent.

After later deciding to return to the Kalevala-based approach that characterises their earlier work, the band brings in Tomi Joutsen as vocalist and releases Eclipse in 2006. This is followed by Silent Waters in 2007 and Skyforger in 2009, all three albums centred on individual Kalevala characters. Forging The Land Of Thousand Lakes appears in 2010 as a live and documentary release, and Magic & Mayhem – Tales From The Early Years also arrives that year with re-recorded early songs and a bonus version of “Light My Fire”.

The Beginning Of Times appears in 2011 and reaches number 1 in the Finnish album charts and number 16 in Germany. Circle follows in 2013 with an original story and heavier, more progressive elements. Later releases Under the Red Cloud in 2015, Queen of Time in 2018 and Halo in 2022 continue in a more symphonic and grand style. The band’s discography also includes Am Universum (2001), Far From the Sun (2003) and a later album titled Borderland.

Line-up

Current members include Tomi Joutsen on vocals, Esa Holopainen and Tomi Koivusaari on guitars, Olli-Pekka Laine on bass, Santeri Kallio on keyboards and Jan Rechberger on drums. Former members listed include Pasi Koskinen, Niclas Etelävuori, Pekka Kasari, Kim Rantala and Kasper Mårtenson.