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Since the early ‘90s, Finland’s Amorphis have been a cornerstone of the metal scene. Like clockwork they consistently release an album every two years. Blending melancholy melodic riffs with diverse vocals, their catalog is impressive. Back with their twelfth release Under the Red Cloud, can it live up to the standard they have set throughout their career?

Combining elements of folk and classical seamlessly with timeless metal tendencies, they have released some of the greatest metal albums to ever grace the genre.


Vocalist Tomi Joutsen has now fronted the band for ten years and this is his sixth album with Amorphis.

Each release with Joutsen finds the band more comfortable and improved upon. Slowly they have been working death metal growls back into their sound and on Under the Red Cloud they represent about half of his melodies. His guttural tone is extremely accessible and clear. It mixes seamlessly with his powerful melodic vocals, which also have improved over time. Tracks like “The Skull” and “The Four Wise Ones” showcase his growth as a vocalist and capture the essence of his aggressive vocals perfectly.

First single “Sacrifice” is downright brilliant. One of the most memorable songs in their catalog, the melodies are infectious. Adding a touch of gothic overtones, the song is punctuated by fantastic guitar fills and a blistering solo from lead guitarist Esa Holopainen. An incredible anthemic chorus is featured that will instantly have you singing along at the top of your lungs.

Amorphis add some appealing progressive passages into their material that show off their musicianship.

“Death of A King,” “Enemy At the Gates” and the title track all feature incredible musical interludes and harmonious passages. The interplay between Holopainen and keyboardist Santeri Kallio is brilliant with their use of Phrygian modes.

Female vocalist Aleah Stanbridge guests on “The Four Wise Ones,” “Sacrifice” and the dynamic “White Night.” The latter is the most impressive as the interplay between Joutsen’s assertive vocal patterns and her spacious beautiful melodies are exquisite before exploding into a grand chorus that finds Joutsen at his best. The song continues to build into an all out explosion powered by drummer Jan Rechberger’s impressive double kicks.

Overall, Under the Red Cloud is the strongest release with Joutsen and is on par with some of their best releases. Its strength lies in the fact that it is as strong in the second half as it is up front. Amorphis have a talent of making a song not overstay its welcome despite breaking the five-minute mark.

Amorphis continually deliver a unique sound of their own and show why they are one of the premier bands in music today. Under the Red Cloud adds to an already impressive catalog and should be in heavy consideration for album of the year.

(released September 4th, 2015 on Nuclear Blast Records)