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Amorphis Am Universum  (Relapse Records, 2001)


Amorphis, a Finnish band originally in the Scandinavian death metal
style, mixes hard rock chops and tones with pop rock songwriting and
vocals on Am Universum, the most mellow and accessible of their
twelve releases since 1991. 

The tone of the music on Am Universum is grainy and drawn out,
with sustained keyboard passages and gravely, held vocals, like a
slightly heavier and more experimental Smash Mouth.  "Alone" epitomizes
this style, beginning with a spacey piano and synth passage that builds
with a background guitar line before a big rock entrance of pulsing
drums and bass over subdued rhythm guitars.  The guitars grind in the
background with a strummed, modern rock or grunge feel as they create a
sonic backdrop for the vocals and other lead instruments.  In a few
places like the intro of "Crimson Wave," the guitars jump to the
forefront and break into discrete riffs, before dropping back again
behind more ethereal synth and vocal passages.  Instrumental textures
like Hammond organ and piano synth sounds, percussive acoustic guitar,
and saxophone add a depth of timbre to the music, especially in more
experimental sections like the extended sax solo in "Crimson Wave." 
These passages show a hint of the band's prog rock and art rock
influences. 

Amorphis has certainly left their death metal beginnings behind in favor
of a style and sound with more harmonic complexity and sonic texture,
mostly aligned along pop rock lines but also featuring hints of a more
experimental side.  However, except for the catchy groove and chorus of
"Veil of Sin," little of the songwriting on Am Universum calls
Amorphis out from the current pack of similarly grungy, accessible hard
rock bands.


Reviewed by Scott Andrews [scottandrews@his.com]

More Info:
http://www.amorphis.net/ 

Lineup: 
Pasi Koskinen - Vocals 
Esa Holopainen - Guitar  
Tomi Koivusaari - Guitar  
Niclas Etelavuori - Bass   
Santeri Kallio - Synthesizers  
Pekka Kasari - Drums 

Track Listing:
1. Alone 
2. Goddess (Of The Sadman) 
3. The Night Is Over 
4. Shatters Within 
5. Crimson Wave 
6. Drifting Memories 
7. Forever More 
8. Veil Of Sin 
9. Captured State 
10. Grieve Stricken Heart 


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