AMORPHIS: Third Studio Webisode Available

Finnish melancholic dark metal forerunners AMORPHIS have entered the studio to begin recording their as-yet-untitled 11th album for a March/April 2013 release via Nuclear Blast Records. Production and mixing duties for the follow-up to 2011's "The Beginning Of Times" are being handled by HYPOCRISY and PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren, who has previously worked with such bands as CHILDREN OF BODOM, CELTIC FROST, IMMORTAL and DIMMU BORGIR. The recordings are taking place at Petrax Studio (NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, KORPIKLAANI) in Hollola and 5K Studios in Helsinki.

The third in a series of webisodes featuring footage from the studio can be seen below.

Commented AMORPHIS guitarist and founding member Esa Holopainen: "The recording process is going well. We're done with most of the instruments and now Peter Tägtgren and Tomi Joutsen are working their asses off with vocals

"To reveal something, we have recorded real church organ and our cameraman has witnessed paranormal activity and spent time with Shaman at a Finnish forest. The document we are filming from recording sessions is going to turn out quite a horror movie. You'll see that the album is going to turn out a real spiritual metal journey."

Regarding the direction of the new AMORPHIS material, Esa said, "Over the last couple of weeks we've had some really intense rehearsing for the forthcoming album. Originally we laid down around 20 new songs as demos, now we are proceeding with 14 tracks.

"I'm really thrilled about the idea to take a major step away from the so-called routines that we've had with our last records.

"While promoting 'The Beginning Of Times', we started to feel that we were giving the same explanations over and over again when people asked about the studio process and how the songs came about. Even though the music was very strong, the making process didn't offer any surprises and appeared to be quite secured. Now the addition of a new dimension to the developing process has inspired us to focus on our material even more. The songs are extremely strong, bombastic and skull-pummelling.

"Though it's too early for a statement like this, I'd already love to say that we've created the best AMORPHIS album ever. We'll do our best!"

"The Beginning Of Times" entered the German Media Control chart at position No. 16 — the best chart position ever scored by an AMORPHIS album in that country. The CD also landed at position No. 1 on the Finnish chart.