The band may be going on 20+ years of releasing some of the best metal albums to grace the Earth, but with their new album, Under The Red Cloud, thinking Amorphis could be running on empty is completely laughable. Other than a period in the late 90’s/early 2000’s where many say the band fell off a bit (which is silly to me, Tuonela and Am Universum were solid records), the band hasn’t ever made an album that was anything less than average – in fact, 2007’s Silent Waters and 2009’s Skyforger rank as two of the best albums of their career.
That’s also why their longevity and overall execution of the style of music that they play isn’t so surprising to me – successfully experimenting with different sounds, while maintaining incredible consistency. Under The Red Cloud, the Finnish metallers 12th (!!!) studio album, ranks as one of their best upon first listen. It’s immediate, but also reaps rewards with repeated listens.
If you’re reading this, it’s not too late to buy this album. Seriously, run, don’t walk. Check out the video for “Sacrifice” below, and if you’re not familiar with the band, this album is a great introduction to Amorphis.
