AMORPHIS

The past year has been quite a seminal year for Amorphis, playing in the U.K. for the first time late 2010 to a sold-out Camden Underworld; the recent issue of their first ever DVD ‘Forging the Land of the Thousand Lakes’ (itself an impressively packaged and well put-together release) and this year of course celebrating their 20th anniversary. So have Amorphis cashed in on their big anniversary by releasing what may be seen by some as another ‘best of’ compilation? In short, no. This is more of a retrospective, allowing (not so) new singer Tomi Joutsen, and other newer members the chance to make their own mark on old Amorphis classics, and for the band to slightly adjust the arrangements and keys of certain songs to the manner in which they are now played live. Spanning their first three albums, from ‘The Karelian Isthmus’, to the now legendary ‘Tales from the Thousand Lakes’ and the progressive leanings of ‘Elegy’, ‘Magic and Mayhem’ sees the band breathe new life into these older tracks, bringing them up to date with the more modern Amorphis style, and with better production, less-dated keyboard sounds, slightly altered guitar lines and the addition of Joutsen’s wonderfully guttural vocals. All of the re-worked tracks really cannot be faulted, especially as they all flow perfectly on from each other, giving it the sense of an album of new material, but the version of ‘My Kantele’ on here really is worth the wait as the penultimate track - it’s almost a blend of the original version from ‘Elegy’ and the acoustic reprise from the ‘My Kantele EP’, with additional keys and, of course, that sitar from the acoustic reprise. Perfect! The only slight downside, and it is a very slight downside, is the final bonus track, ‘Light My Fire’ (yes, it is a cover of The Doors’ classic). One to divide fans maybe as it does stick out from the rest of the album, despite it being given the Amorphis treatment. Perhaps it’s a chance for Santeri Kallio to play that legendary organ line, perhaps it’s an in-band joke or even a guilty pleasure, who knows, but if you can’t bear it, at least it’s the last track, so you can just turn off after ‘My Kantele’. It does grow on you though… honest. And then there’s the artwork. After Travis Smith lending his artistic prowess to recent Amorphis covers, the cover of ‘Magic and Mayhem’ harks back to the earlier Amorphis designs; but a massive fish jumping out of a lake? Que? Well, you don’t have to go far to figure out its meaning (or what I’m assuming it relates to!). With Amorphis taking massive influence from the Finnish literary epic, the ‘Kalevala’, it gives mention to the jaws of a huge pike fish that was killed and used to make the first “kantele” (a stringed instrument). Well that would make sense then! All in all, for old and new fans alike, this is an absolute must, and don’t let that cover version put you off!

LABEL:

FORMAT:

Nuclear Blast

Album

MAGIC & MAYHEM - TALES FROM THE EARLY YEARS

Review by Hannah Sylvester

RUNNING TIME:

60:33

RELEASE DATE:

20th Sept 2010

TRACK LISTING

1) Magic and Mayhem
2) Vulgar Necrolatry
3) Into Hiding
4) Black Winter Day
5) On Rich and Poor
6) Exile of the Sons
7) The Castaway
8) Song of the Troubled
9) Sign from the North
10) Drowned Maid; 11) Against Widows
12) My Kantele; 13) Light My Fire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

Finland

"...‘Magic and Mayhem’ sees the band breathe new life into these older tracks, bringing them up to date with the more modern Amorphis style, and with better production, less-dated keyboard sounds, slightly altered guitar lines and the addition of Joutsen’s wonderfully guttural vocals."