Amorphis

Finland's Amorphis have been standard-bearers for Nordic metal since the 1990s. Originally a death metal band, they transcended the genre limitation early on as 1994's Tales from the Thousand Lakes began incorporating elements of folk, Viking, and progressive metal. 2001's keyboards-and-saxophone-drenched Am Universum went further, threading psychedelia and hooky hard rock into their sonic quilt. 2009's globally celebrated Skyforger showcased riff-driven melo-death, balanced with hook-laden progressive tenets. 2015's Under the Red Cloud was an international bestseller, while 2018's Queen of Time netted the streaming hit "The Bee" and climbed into the metal Top Five. The songs on 2022's Halo utilized shifting time signatures, intricate melodies, choirs, and constantly changing dynamics. Following a pair of world tours and a well-deserved rest, Amorphis returned in 2025 with Borderland, produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat). ~ Gary Hill