Eclipse

Eclipse is an extremely important seventh album on which Amorphis, welcoming the new vocalist Tomi Joutsen, binds deep Nordic shading, beautiful folk-derived melody and heavy metal riffs in a new balance. Joutsen’s outstanding expression, freely using clean singing and restrained growls, gives deep, rich rise and fall to a lyrical world evoking old tales inspired by Finnish epics. A record announcing the opening of the band’s new golden age. From the powerful drive of the opener “Two Moons” to the catchy classic “House of Sleep,” which became the band’s biggest hit, every song is engaging, while cuts like “Leaves Scar,” “Born from Fire” and “The Smoke” convey the work’s fullness. The lyrical guitar and keyboards, by no means overly decorating the songs, beautifully unite quiet sorrow and powerful lift. A record that became a great turning point, powerfully defining the subsequent mature golden-age style while firmly respecting Amorphis’s rich tradition. Joutsen’s joining brought new steadiness and a leap to the band. In particular, the presence of “House of Sleep” makes this one of the band’s representative works. An extremely polished masterpiece that opened Amorphis’s new chapter — the band’s new starting point.