Far from the Sun

Far from the Sun is a work on which Amorphis, while keeping heavy guitar as its foundation, foregrounds soft vocals, a rich keyboard expanse and sinking, introspective melody. It pulls the progressive, experimental direction of the previous works into a more song-oriented, settled form. Rather than extreme aggression, by valuing the songs’ distinctive air and deep afterglow, it creates the band’s own sure shading. It is the last studio work of the period Pasi Koskinen belonged. From the powerful drive of the opener “Day of Your Beliefs” and the drama of “Planetary Misfortune” to a cut like “Evil Inside,” every song is engaging, while the title track “Far from the Sun” and a cut like “Mourning Soil” convey the work’s fullness. Even in quiet passages, Amorphis’s own sure weight is firmly kept. A record on which progressive, elaborate song construction is deftly used precisely to deepen the rich emotion. It clearly shows a side of Amorphis, unafraid of change, that chose to carefully draw inner emotion over flashy change. After this, the band would face a turning point of a major vocalist swap. An engaging record with a quiet, deep appeal.