Halo

Halo is a work that can be called a mature arrival point on which Amorphis fuses, at an extremely high level, the death-metal weight, beautiful folk-derived melody and progressive, grand construction it has cultivated over long years. Tomi Joutsen’s growls and clean vocals vividly switch the songs’ light and shade, and the guitar and keyboards powerfully draw a vast, beautiful world particular to the Nordic. A record on which, while clad in a deep mythic air, the songs’ own sure hooks are extremely strong. From the opener “Northwards” and the powerful “On the Dark Waters” to the fantastical “The Moon,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Windmane,” “A New Land” and “When the Gods Came” convey the work’s fullness. A heavy, sure drive and rich lyricism are united at an extremely high level, and their expression increases one after another the more you listen deeply. A whole-hearted record that powerfully proved that, even as veterans, Amorphis keeps deepening and refining its musicality. Achieving great critical and commercial success, it solidifies the band’s mature golden age. An engaging masterpiece on which Finland’s deep lyricism and modern metal’s weight beautifully come to fruition — a record showing the height of the band’s maturity.