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Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)
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Author:  Subrick [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:27 am ]
Post subject:  Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/mus ... datum.html

Spoiler: show
Quote:
2018-02-22 - AMORPHIS have finally finished recording their upcoming new studio album, entitled Queen Of Time. The record is scheduled for a May 18th release, via Nuclear Blast. In comparison to its predecessor, Under The Red Cloud (2015), the album will include the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs! In addition, this will be the first time that people will be able to hear their lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on the album as he contributes a speech in Finnish.

Today, the band unveils some more details on the production, the album title, the album cover and on working with their new/old bassist Olli-Pekka Laine.

The album was once again produced by the famous Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR, and many others), who is well-known for challenging, and motivating, the artists during the recording process. He isn’t afraid to push them to their limits!

Esa comments: "I guess Queen Of Time turned out as a massive surprise to all of us. During the rehearsing and pre-production we didn’t have any idea that Jens had this huge picture inside of his head about the landscape of the album. It’s a very natural continuation to Under The Red Cloud but with steroids. The songs are more aggressive but there’s more dynamics, harmonies and orchestral arrangements present. The result is AMORPHIS as something you’ve never heard before! Essentially, working with Jens worked really well. As a person he is very similar to us - we share the same kind of weird humor and we all like to work hard."

The cover artwork, which was created once again by French artist Jean ”Valnoir” Simoulin from Metastazis, captures the feeling of the lyrics and the music. With Pekka Kainulainen's (lyricist) words, the lyrical theme is universal: “Cultures rise, flourish, and are destroyed. The story of man is the story of searching, finding, and forgetting. A single spark can set the world afire, a single idea can give birth to a new culture. The greatest can stagnate into insignificance, the smallest can hold the power for change. The lyrics on this album are distant echoes of ancient forest peoples, from a time when meaning was proportioned by the cosmic forces that govern birth and death. If the connection was lost, they sought for a strand of knowledge, found a new direction, and a new age began.”

Queen Of Time will be also the first album with their old/new bass player Olli-Pekka 'Oppu' Laine following the departure of Niclas Etelävuori in 2017. Oppu was one of the founding members in 1990 and recorded the first seven records with AMORPHIS (The Karelian Isthmus LP, 1992; Privilege Of Evil EP, 1993; Tales From The Thousand Lakes LP, 1994; Black Winter Day EP, 1995; Elegy LP, 1996; My Kantele EP, 1997 and the Tuonela LP, 1999) before he parted ways with the band in spring 2000.

"To be honest, 'Oppu' was the only guy we could imagine being in AMORPHIS. It was funny - when we started to play our first shows together again last summer it all felt so familiar. He was involved with arranging songs and he also even brought some new songs to the table… really good ones, too!" says Esa. And Oppu adds: "Even though the last year with AMORPHIS has been exciting, nostalgic and fun, it's also been truly comfortable to be with the guys again. As a clichéd expression, it's been like returning home from a lenghty odyssey. After eighteen years, it feels like we are picking up where we left off from the good ol' days! I'm really looking forward for the upcoming tour. The new album itself is a really strong package, the only hard thing will be picking which songs to play live! It’s safe to say we are set to pull off some killer shows over the next few years. After that, I'm predicting a long and fruitful career for the band in its current form..."

The band will soon kick off pre-orders for Queen Of Time and release their first single, so stay tuned!


Image

Super, super pumped for this. Under the Red Cloud is seriously in the top 5 albums Amorphis have ever done, possibly even the top 3 (along with Tales from the Thousand Lakes and Elegy), and they're basically incapable of making anything that isn't at least great. I fully expect this album to be just that.

Author:  ~Guest 334273 [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

I'm on the opposite side as i find the last two to be just listenable and only a shadow of their former self, but i always await new material from them... C'mon Amorphis! You have all the ingredients, get them right! :)

Author:  cultofkraken [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 3:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Morn Of Solace wrote:
I'm on the opposite side as i find the last two to be just listenable and only a shadow of their former self, but i always await new material from them... C'mon Amorphis! You have all the ingredients, get them right! :)


The return of their original bassist is encouraging news to me but I guess we won’t know until we hear it.

Author:  jjohn [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 4:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

These guys need to reinvent themselves imho. Their current sound hit peak a decade ago.

I've been enjoying some Tales from the thousand lakes recently so I might give this a shot...

Author:  TheWaltzer [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 4:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

jjohn wrote:
These guys need to reinvent themselves imho. Their current sound hit peak a decade ago.


I agree that their last few albums were same-y (though I consider Under The Red Cloud among their best), but it seems they are moving towards a more epic, symphonic style, at least this quote could suggest it:
Quote:
In comparison to its predecessor, Under The Red Cloud (2015), the album will include the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs!


Here's to hoping they don't overdo it and/or forget about crafting good riffs and songs.

Author:  Razakel [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 2:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Very stoked as always for new Amorphis. I'm in agreement that their last few albums are good but for me they lacked that energy of the first three Tomi Joutsen albums, which really sounded like a cohesive trilogy. Here's hoping that a slightly different line up will shake things up a bit. Esa calling the album "Red Cloud on steroids" definitely gets me intrigued.

cultofkraken wrote:
The return of their original bassist is encouraging news to me but I guess we won’t know until we hear it.


This! Not only is Oppu a founding member of the band, but he actually wrote/co-wrote many of the band's old classics like Into Hiding, Drowned Maid, The Castaway, Song of the Troubled One, Against Widows, etc. so I'm really, really excited to hear if his return causes another shift in the band's sound. It was awesome to see them live with this line up last summer.

Author:  ChildClownOutlet [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 8:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Can't wait, love Amorphis(Circle was kind of meh). UTRC was incredible, I fucking loved The Wind.

Author:  Acidgobblin [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Awesome, I am dead fucking keen. :) I was listening to Under the Red Cloud a few days back, it is one of the most complete metal albums of the last few years. Amorphis just have such a distinct melodic sense and its one I can totally dig.

I didn't like the artwork on UtRC and I don't like this. It just doesn't suit the aesthetic of Amorphis, it makes me think I could be about to hear some occult doom or whathaveyou. I would accept a colour change, I don't hear any 'red' in Amorphis. Meh, small issue really.

Author:  Shadoeking [ Fri Feb 23, 2018 10:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

I am always on board for new Amorphis material. Absolutely one of my favorite bands, and I actually like the direction they have been taking on the last two albums. I will be checking it out.

Author:  ObservationSlave [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 12:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

This is honestly some of the most off-putting artwork I have seen from a band I really enjoy. There's just way too much going on iand it doesn't flow well. At the end of the day though it doesn't matter and I'm just hoping for similar quality to Under the Red Cloud.

Author:  kalervon [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 12:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Everything they've done in the last 10 years is turning into a blur.. I'm not sure I will follow up

Author:  PeteGas [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 12:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Loved the last album (and most of their material -Elegy is fucking amazing). Super excited!

Author:  ~Guest 389043 [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 3:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Can't get the first two. Everytime I have tried with Elegy I get bored.

Author:  Xymosys [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 1:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

kalervon wrote:
Everything they've done in the last 10 years is turning into a blur.. I'm not sure I will follow up


Same with me . I love the band, but I find them nowdays too repetative, considering their potential talent and musicianship. Yeah, they should re-invent themselves or something, in my opinion.

Author:  Pitiless Wanderer [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 4:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

I think Amorphis needs to take a break. The last few albums have not been anything special.

Author:  Razakel [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 4:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Pitiless Wanderer wrote:
I think Amorphis needs to take a break. The last few albums have not been anything special.


Well actually this is one of the longest gaps between albums in the band's history, but aside from that, I'm pretty sure their last few albums have been their most commercially successful ever, not to mention critically acclaimed. They also went on their first North American tour in almost ten years last year which was so successful that they've already got another one lined up for September. I don't really understand why any band would take a break during a period of such momentum.

Author:  Abominatrix [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Yeah, I was just thinking that. Seems they had put out an album like clockwork every two years for an age. I don't know. Maybe this will be something different. I'm skeptical. You can count me in the camp that finds this band really frustrating. i mean, they are super-talented. And I'll never forget the time I saw them in 2001 or thereabouts and they basically played an awesome set of jammy space-rock. After that i went and listened to the album that was new at the time, Am Universam, and was so disappointed. They just did not capture what I felt from them on-stage at all. Of course, I have listened to some of the subsequent albums and enjoyed them a little. Silent Waters was one I remembered standing out in some aspects.

I'll always have a real fondness in my heart for Elegy though. That is a really special record where everything seemed to come together for them.

Author:  Razakel [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 5:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Abominatrix wrote:
I'll always have a real fondness in my heart for Elegy though. That is a really special record where everything seemed to come together for them.


Yup, that's forever their all-time best for me. Tales From the Thousand Lakes is the enduring classic they'll always be remembered for, but Elegy is just something else entirely. A perfect album in every way, and something no other band could ever try to replicate.

Author:  Abominatrix [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 5:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

I think I'd take Karelian Isthmus or the EP over Tales, although revisiting it last year or so, it's still a decent album. i just don't think they'd quite gotten there yet. They needed the new band members, especially the keyboardist and drummer, to take them where they wanted to go, which ultimately became Elegy. The death metal stuff from the early days was great.

Author:  kluseba [ Sat Feb 24, 2018 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Amorphis is still my favorite band and they haven't released one single bad album in their career in my book. I'm definitely going to purchase this record. The artwork looks absolutely amazing, as usual. I'm looking forward to seeing them in concert in Montreal this year. Last year's concert in Ottawa was cancelled because of a snow storm which was a huge bummer. So I hope I'm going to have more luck this autumn!

Author:  conquer__all [ Sun Feb 25, 2018 5:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Love them since their first album, seen them live three times, one of my all time favs. But I could not get into the last album. Circles was fantastic, but Red Cloud was boring. Hope this one is more like Skyforger or Silent Water.

Author:  Blizk [ Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

conquer__all wrote:
Circles was fantastic, but Red Cloud was boring. Hope this one is more like Skyforger or Silent Water.

Don't get your hopes up too high.

Author:  kalervon [ Sun Feb 25, 2018 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

I saw them last year.. perfect execution, good crowd, but trying to remember what the show was like I had to first go to setlist.fm

Doing a decomposition of songs they played by album in reverse chronological order:

4 songs from "Under the Red Cloud". Looking at the titles today, I can vaguely remember how two of them sound like. (2/4)

1 song from "Circle", I forget what it sounds like. (0/1)

3 songs from "Skyforger", I can remember what two of them sound like. (2/3)

2 songs from "Eclipse"
2 songs from "Elegy"
2 songs from "Tales..."
I can easily remember all of them (6/6)

Yet, I had "Skyforger", "Circle" and "Under the Red Cloud" in my mp3 playing device / phone for up to a year (sometimes more) from the day they were released. It's not because I didn't listen to them. By comparison, if I had "Tales.." in my walkman back then, it was only for a short time until I ran out of batteries.

Of course, after listening to a few seconds of each of these 'forgotten' songs I instantly remember how they evolve and some of them are great.

But that's what I meant by the last 10 years of Amorphis being a blur (for me).

Now, is that the band not being creative enough, or the fact that this subsubgenre has limited potential for innovation, or is it just me growing old and showing signs of mental deterioration.. or my brain being saturated.. probably a mix of all.

Author:  Conan Troutman [ Sun Feb 25, 2018 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Looking forward to this. I thought UTRC was a superb album but it would be nice if this one was a bit heavier. Not really appreciating the artwork though.

There's a good couple of months ahead with albums from Barren Earth, Kalmah, Augury and now this.

Author:  YouWereMYGhost [ Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

I am definitely excited for this. I imagine that this may be in the same vein as 'Under The Red Cloud', which is isn't to say that the band's departure from their original style is a bad thing, on the contrary I am particularly excited to hear what they have to offer should there be an abundance of clean vocals! 2018 will hopefully be a heavy hitter year for death/doom, death, and some of the more extreme side of metal!

Author:  Razakel [ Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

This Finnish metal website has revealed the tracklisting and also given descriptions of each song: http://www.imperiumi.net/index.php?act= ... ws&id=2502

My google translate pretty much turns everything into a jumble but I gather that the opening track is a "growling banger" and Daughter of Hate is the heaviest, most aggressive track on the album. If any Finns on the board care to elaborate, please feel free!

Author:  Blizk [ Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Razakel wrote:
If any Finns on the board care to elaborate, please feel free!

How about I'll just post one in English instead, the content is more informative too ;) https://www.musicalypse.net/amorphis-qu ... 4-02-2018/

Author:  Razakel [ Thu Mar 22, 2018 3:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Supposedly the opening track, The Bee, played on some Finnish radio station. Someone recorded it and posted it on YouTube but it was taken down real quick, before I had a chance to listen. Did anyone listen to it? Does anyone know if it's floating around somewhere on the web? Probably means we'll hear an official release soon. Actually pretty surprising there's no single out yet.

Author:  Blizk [ Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

The Bee is up on Spotify, though it's worth noting it's already the wee Friday hours here.

Author:  Razakel [ Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Yup, found it and downloaded it. Holy crap, I'm loving the hell out of this song. Another ripping opener, already like it more than the opener on Red Cloud. Just packs every ingredient that makes modern Amorphis great, and that section around 3 minutes in is simply massive. Can't wait to see that live.

Author:  ironmaidens_666 [ Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

First track is up.

Author:  conquer__all [ Fri Mar 23, 2018 2:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Great song! UTRC just didn’t do it for me, but this is classic Amorphis!

Author:  DividerOfShadows [ Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Awesome track. Maybe Olli-Pekka had something to do with this more classic dieection.

Author:  Blizk [ Fri Mar 23, 2018 4:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

DividerOfShadows wrote:
Awesome track. Maybe Olli-Pekka had something to do with this more classic dieection.

The only song he has writing credits on is a bonus track, the rest have been penned by either Holopainen or Kallio. This isn't any more "classic" than their most recent output to my ears.

Author:  kluseba [ Fri Mar 23, 2018 5:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Awesome track - folkloristic lyrics and melodies, great riffs, stunning growls and a few fresh synth influences. There isn't anything classic about this song. It's just like any other Amorphis song from any era: amazing.

Author:  Subrick [ Sat Mar 24, 2018 2:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Fucking loved it. This band can literally do no wrong at this point.

Author:  aloof [ Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

it's a good song, and they're clearly accomplished songwriters and professional arrangers, but there's no surprises. this sounds like at least 10 previous amorphis songs.

Author:  ~Guest 334273 [ Sat Mar 24, 2018 10:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

Indeed, it's good but i don't think it's something i will remember.

They are capable of much more :(

Author:  Wilytank [ Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

conquer__all wrote:
Great song! UTRC just didn’t do it for me, but this is classic Amorphis!



DividerOfShadows wrote:
Awesome track. Maybe Olli-Pekka had something to do with this more classic dieection.

:scratch: I don't understand these remarks. Wouldn't "classic" imply Privilege of Evil/Karelian Isthmus or even Tales from the Thousand Lakes era? Because there's none of that here.

It's an otherwise workable song, there are some elements of Elegy in here, but this is otherwise an extension of their modern sound.

Author:  henkkjelle [ Sat Mar 24, 2018 6:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Amorphis - Queen of Time (May 24th)

It's an upper echelon modern Amorphis song and I also don't hear any of these "classic" Amorphis elements. Under the Red Cloud was a massive step forwards from Circle and TBoT and it seems like they're continuing their upward trajectory! This is gonna be great.

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