Being a metalhead of the generation that recognizes “Black Winter Day” within seconds, I have always had an interest in what Amorphis are doing, even when I suspect it’s not that interesting. The chatter about the release of Amorphis‘ fifteenth full-length of original material, Borderland, let me know I wasn’t alone there. The band’s evolution has carried them away from the underground metal scene and indeed, Borderland is a good name for where they currently stand. Nevertheless, the release seemed like a good moment to reconnect with Amorphis and see just where they stood for me.
The funny thing is that in terms of melody, Amorphis‘ evolution doesn’t seem that dramatic. The same interchange between folk-tinged guitars and lush synths is still at the heart of what they do on Borderland. This has more 80s prog influence than before from the very first notes of “The Circle”, even compared to recent releases, but will it really surprise anyone who’s heard those keyboard tones before that these musicians love some prog? Anyone at all? The prog moments are balanced with touches of bombastic heavy metal, particularly on “Bones”, and their trademark somber, soaring gothic leads that are so well showcased on album standout “The Lantern”.
Where they have changed over the years, though, is in terms of rhythm, intent, and dynamic qualities. Borderland is a change from recent albums, and it is a change for the worse. Jan Rechberger’s drumming performance is far too measured and subdued, keeping time for the melodies rather than driving them on. It’s not until song five, “The Strange”, that he shows the intensity of his previous work on Halo and Queen of Time. Any sense of emotion is similarly too quiet. There is little of the sense of sorrow and fragility on Borderland characteristic of much of Amorphis‘ career. Some skilled use of soft-loud dynamics does exist in the songwriting, often using Tomi Joutsen‘s mix of powerful growls and crooning cleans as on the endings of “Fog to Fog” and “Tempest”, but they aren’t enough on their own.
The sum of Borderland‘s qualities is a set of hooky melodies, sometimes irresistibly hooky, but without much else to bring them to life. At its best, it doesn’t matter, as Amorphis‘ guitars and keyboards are so smooth and pleasant that Borderland wins anyway. There’s such a thing as too smooth though, particularly in metal, and I find myself longing, too, for something more. Some bite. There’s currently a lot of music around marrying the sounds of death metal with those of 70s/80s prog rock. Most of the times I hear it, I enjoy the melodies but lament that its sense of aggression owes much more to the latter than the former and that puts a hard cap on my enjoyment. That’s Borderland in a nutshell. I’ll keep up with Amorphis but this one has evolved too far from my tastes.
