AMORPHIS To Be Joined By Former Members On Stage During 'Magic & Mayhem' Tour

AMORPHIS's "Magic & Mayhem" tour kicks off tonight (Wednesday, December 8) at Helsinki, Finland's legendary Tavastia club. Each show will feature special appearances by several former members of the band, including Pekka Kasari, Pasi Koskinen, Olli-Pekka Laine, Kasper Mårtenson, Kim Rantala and Ville Tuomi.

Click here for a detailed list of special guests at each gig.

Commented AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen: "It goes without saying that the 'Magic & Mayhem' tour will bring many nostalgic moments, as former AMORPHIS members from throughout the years will be our guests on stage.

"The tour concludes a fantastic year, during which we have celebrated the 20-year career of AMORPHIS in more than one way.

"After New Year’s, we will continue the production of our next album, which we expect to see the light of day in May 2011. Pekka Kainulainen has again written beautiful lyrics, and the new album will be centered around the leading figure of Finnish mythology. Musically, it will again be intense with powerful emotion."

Video footage of AMORPHIS performing on November 23, 2010 in Munich, Germany can be viewed below.

On September 17, AMORPHIS celebrated its 20th anniversary by releasing a special retrospective, "Magic & Mayhem – Tales From The Early Years", featuring newly re-recorded versions of the songs from the band's first three albums (1992's "Karelian Isthmus", 1994's "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" and 1996's "Elegy") with slightly different arrangements, better audio quality and featuring the band's current lineup. AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen told Petri Silas of Finland's Soundi magazine in early June that he was especially happy with how "My Kantele" and "Song Of The Troubled One" turned out. The collection also includes such gems as "Vulgar Necrolatry" and the band's cover of THE DOORS' "Light My Fire". The latter song was previously recorded by the band and was included on the reissue of the "Tales from the Thousand Lakes" LP, but the new collection features an all-new version that was tracked in early 2010.

"Skyforger", the latest album from AMORPHIS, was certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies. (Note: The sales requirement for albums to reach gold status in Finland was recently lowered to 10,000, but because "Skyforger" was released before this change took effect, the old rules still apply.) The bandmembers were presented with their gold plaques on July 6 at a release party for their first-ever live DVD, "Forging The Land Of Thousand Lakes", at Cinema Andorra in Helsinki.

"Skyforger" was honored in the "Metal Album Of The Year" category at this year's Emma Gaala (Finnish Grammy equivalent).

AMORPHIS was nominated in two categories at the Emma Gaala — "Metal Album Of The Year" and "Domestic Artist Of The Year".