AMORPHIS

A few more years pass hazily by, and somehow AMORPHIS are still not one of the biggest metal bands on the planet. There really is no justice. Last time out, the Finnish veterans excelled themselves even more than usual. "Halo" was a strong record, even by their usual standards, and seemed to indicate another surge of confidence and creative belief (in a career that has hardly struggled to conjure such things). AMORPHIS have been on great form for most of their 30-year career, and it is only their consistency and quiet way of doing things that has prevented them from making more noise on a commercial basis. "Borderland" is unlikely to make a huge difference to their status as solid guardians of Finnish folklore in a progressive, heavy metal context, but it really deserves to. This is, with crushing but reassuring inevitability, another unequivocal triumph. It also showcases a subtle, evolutionary forward shuffle that should give the band another decade or two of fresh impetus.

In many respects, "Borderland" is business as usual. The riffs, the melodies, the contrast between clean and brutal vocals: AMORPHIS haven't changed hugely since "Halo", and everything that fans expect and demand is present and as vital and invigorating as ever. The difference this time around is that they have rolled back some of the intricacy and knottiness that fueled "Halo", opting instead for an even more direct and melodic approach, albeit with a few notable detours into new territory. Opener "The Circle" is gleaming, none-more-classic AMORPHIS, built on a lushly atmospheric bedrock, full of delayed guitars and soaring, light-up-the-sky hooks. In contrast, "Bones" is a partial return to the exotic scales and fervent aggression of "Death of a King" (from 2015's "Under The Red Cloud"),with a chorus melody that is a model of sweet simplicity, and wonderfully prog-friendly moments of instrumental indulgence. As always, Tomi Joutsen is a formidable presence, as he celebrates 20 years as AMORPHIS's frontman with one of his most commanding performances to date. "Borderland" has several such songs: bigger and bolder than past counterparts, but essentially in line with the sound that the Finns have nurtured over more than three decades. But things are changing too. "Dancing Shadow" is one of the most overtly catchy and upbeat things they have produced in years. Frolicking along on a feisty, almost disco-style pulse, it would be perfect for a raucous, festival singalong, absolutely reeking of sunshine and positive energy. Similarly, after the wistful melodies and windswept bravado of "Fog to Fog", "The Strange" takes another off-piste sidestep, with a delicately convoluted structure, rich with unusual twists and unexpected chord changes, and another blissfully powerful vocal from Joutsen. Jacob Hansen's production ensures that everything sounds huge when necessary, but there is great intimacy to be enjoyed in AMORPHIS's songwriting, and the straightforward nature of these songs hinges on their ability to truly breathe.

This album's unspoken theme of seeking balance between ancient wisdom and the grinding pressures of modern life makes perfect sense. Here the bombastic daydreaming of the past is given a brisk shake-up by the realities of living in 2025, and "Borderland" revels in that conflict, wringing great drama from the resultant tumult. "Tempest" is a glittering miasma of folk-fueled prettiness and strident, metallic oomph; "Light and Shadow" is a joyous hymn to the human experience, and one of the catchiest AMORPHIS songs ever; and "The Lantern" is a synth-laced, prog metal barnburner with not-so-hidden depths, ingenious changes of mood, a lithe and psychedelic keyboard solo, and an undulating 7/8 rhythm that mesmerizes with its ghostly gait. The title track stays rooted in the more adventurous end of the band's musical tradition, with Joutsen adrift on a beautiful, free-flowing collage of riffs and hooks, and big budget crescendos hovering over the horizon like gifts from the ancient gods. Meanwhile, grand finale "Despair" is simply stunning: all the intrigue and invention of the preceding 45 minutes crammed into one, last act of thunderous romance, rendered in vivid Technicolor, and as mysterious and compelling as a mist-covered shoreline at dawn.

Still, after all these years, nobody else is making music like this. AMORPHIS are masters of their own domain, and "Borderland" is another remarkably rousing addition to one of the most impressive catalogues in all of heavy music. Laudable behavior.