AMORPHIS's TOMI JOUTSEN On Use Of A.I. To Make Music: 'What Machines Cannot Do Is Create Real Emotions'

In a new interview with Jovan Ristić of Altnote, vocalist Tomi Joutsen of Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. Tomi said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, to be honest, I don't know how much the machines can do already. It's difficult, because, of course, everyone would like to hear band using real amplifiers, real guitars, real drums, real instruments, but nowadays I think most of people are using plugins and stuff like that out to everything. So it's not like totally pure art, if you think of it that way.

"I think computers and stuff, they can be a great inspiration, and if someone wants to do everything with computers and programs, it's okay for me," he explained. "But personally, I think that pure art, it's coming from people, not from the machines. I think what machines cannot do is create real emotions. They don't understand what it's like to feel, what it's like to really love or hate or suffer. So I think you need all of that, all of the emotions, if you want to bring something unique or true, and that's my opinion about it."

Followed by a Finnish headline run and a European arena tour alongside ARCH ENEMY, ELUVEITIE and GATECREEPER, AMORPHIS's new album, "Borderland", will become available in late September.

The follow-up to 2022's "Halo", "Borderland" was recorded in late 2024 and early 2025 at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen. The cover artwork was designed by Dutch artist Marald Van Haasteren (METALLICA, BLACK SABBATH, KVELERTAK, ALCEST).

Since forming in Helsinki in 1990, the Finnish sextet has fearlessly explored musical frontiers — from raw death metal roots to melodic, progressive and folk-tinged heavy rock, and far beyond. At every turn, AMORPHIS has expanded musical and lyrical boundaries without compromising their artistic identity.

AMORPHIS's fifteenth studio album marks both a continuation and a reinvention of the band's legacy. With acclaimed Danish producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, ARCH ENEMY, AMARANTHE) at the helm for the first time and a revitalized creative spark within the group, "Borderland" sees AMORPHIS fully embracing their melodic sensibilities while venturing into fresh, uncharted sonic landscapes.

AMORPHIS is:

Tomi Joutsen - vocals
Esa Holopainen - guitars
Tomi Koivusaari - guitars
Olli-Pekka "Oppu" Laine - bass
Santeri Kallio - keys
Jan Rechberger - drums & percussion