Amorphis – Halo

Consistency and keeping a steady course. Bands like Motörhead and AC/DC build a whole career on those two principles. This approach is also appreciated by more conversative listeners. Personally I’m somewhat on the fence about this, as I prefer the more adventurous and experimental artists and bands. Enter Amorphis, a band considered to be somewhat in prog territory and known for churning out high quality releases year in year out. Let’s see what their latest record, entitled “Halo”, has to offer.

It has to be said that the first five songs on “Halo” are utterly immaculate. Amorphis is in fine form and songs like ‘Nothwards’, ‘On The Dark Waters’ and ‘Windmane’ feature all the hallmarks that make the band instantly recognisable. Soaring folky melodies, well-placed hooks and memorable choruses, it’s all there. Vocalist Tomi Joutsen traverses effortlessly between his trademark growls and clean vocal style. The odd orchestral parts and a choir here and there add just that little bit of extra drama without overdoing it. I’m sure that fans that love the previous five albums will love “Halo” to bits. Amorphis has their musical formula nailed down to perfection.

Amorphis – The Moon (click here if the video doesn’t play)

The second half of “Halo” offers more of the same and that makes the album somewhat predictable. The quality of songs like ‘When The Gods Came’, ‘War’ and ‘The Wolf’ is still high, but for some reason I find them to be less memorable. It seems the magical formula does wear thin. Cutting out one or two songs would have certainly helped. The album’s closing track, called ‘My Name Is Night’, is one of the highlights on “Halo”, mainly due to Petronella Nettermalm’s guest vocals.

Amorphis – On The Dark Waters (click here if the video doesn’t play)

There it is. “Halo” is a high quality album in a long line of quality albums stretching back to 2006’s “Eclipse”. It has the songs, it has the drive and energy and a pristine production that should make every Amorphis fan utterly drool with desire. For a casual listener like me more variation and a general change of direction would have made “Halo” a more memorable listening experience.

Tracklist:

1. Northwards
2. On The Dark Waters
3. The Moon
4. Windmane
5. A New Land
6. When The Gods Came
7. Seven Roads Come Together
8. War
9. Halo
10. The Wolf
11. My Name Is Night