AMORPHIS – Borderland (Album Review)

“The Circle,” the opening track from the Amorphis album Borderland, greets listeners with Tomi Koivusarri’s clean, saturated guitar textures awash with delay to evoke a psychedelic mood. It is underpinned by a deep tonic drone courtesy of longtime keyboardist Santeri Kallio, and as if on cue, the rest of the band amps up the tension before halting with a brief tacit before diving all in with Jan Rechberger’s flawless footwork, Olli-Pekka Laine’s stentorian deep end, and Esa Holopainen’s merciless chug.

Frontman Tomi Joutsen throws us for a mild loop when his incredibly capable baritone manifests a placid sense of hope that only intensifies as other Tomi swells his 60s flair under the song’s refrain, revving that texture up even more for the viciously growled interlude.

Sound familiar? Sure it does. This is roughly the umpteenth time Amorphis has opened an album in such a manner. With only the vocal approaches slightly differing, this is how Queen of Time, Tuonela, Elegy, and others start. This is often emblematic of a band who are content to spin its wheels without really innovating anymore, preferring to stick to what’s worked in the past. Why strive to be Mr Juicy when you can guarantee cash flow by being McDonald’s?

Thankfully, this ain’t fast food. This is Amorphis. And where lesser bands might retread well-established ground in the hopes of maintaining an audience, Amorphis insist on further strengthening what’s proven to be their forte. Twenty years into their Joutsen-led revitalization, Amorphis has released one excellent record after another, hitting a terrifying stride with 2015’s Under the Red Cloud that’s seen the band hone in on the sound they created on that album without deviating too far from what they’ve demonstrated to be their dominion. What plodded on the weaker albums of the late Pasi Koskinen era has morphed into precision; the collective continuously moulting to maintain its youthful rancor while still bearing the bounty borne by the wisdom they’ve cultivated over their thirty-five years at this game. The beast ain’t stagnating if it feeds on itself to become more deadly, is it?

“Bones” is a callback to older cuts like “Greed” and “Better Unborn,” boasting a near-eastern verve accented by an unsettling sitar and Joutsen’s diabolical roar. This cut, like its predecessor, highlights Joutsen’s dominance as a singer – his clean delivery at the refrain is a demonstration that one needn’t have studied under the likes of Callas or Pavarotti to master the art of delivery. All you need is to recognize your limits, push them, and bleed at least a metric ton of conviction. Joutsen’s knack for always finding the right melody is a treasure unto itself, and coupled with his death metal bona fides, it has lifted a faltering titan and nourished it into the monstrosity whose fruits we lasciviously reap. He did not carry them there – he simply brought them the strength to get back on their feet and reconquer.

“Dancing Shadow” cuts to the chase pretty quickly, its mildly overdriven textures rapidly giving way to the anthemic, partially folky, quasi psychedelic, and semi progressive death metal we crave from these dudes. Every note, sound, melody, and growl is chosen with the utmost care, as if this sextet were more a surgical team than a bunch of freaking deathheads. If any band has mastered the art of melding the progressive with the practical, it’s Amorphis. We hear this evidenced further on “Fog to Fog,” which also manages to cut unnecessary grease without sacrificing that unique Karelian take on progmetal that has defined this band’s sound for over three decades.

Said Finnish flair is perhaps most prominent on “The Strange,” a mid-paced piano-led ditty that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Nightwish record, while the brooding “Tempest” turns yet another page in the Kalevala playbook. “Light and Shadow” approaches power metal territory, its upbeat and enspiriting stylings defying Koivusaari’s requisite clean delays. It also permits one of Koivusaari’s very few chances on Borderland to take a blistering lead, all of which are always appropriate, always fiery, and never, ever showy. And this is one of the many things that make this aging ensemble such a delight – they fall squarely into progressive metal territory, but you will never hear them shred just because they can.

“The Lantern” illuminates the record with more folky psychedelia that sounds like a more securely anchored “Elegy,” oozing minacious melancholy and perdition, and the following title track projects the listener through that desolation with the promise of adversarial hope. Borderland ends neatly with the despondent “Despair,” Koivusaari’s absolutely soaked trem picking creating a tension that’s released nearly instantly with the song’s balladic brooding and a brief, subtle, but incredibly effective orchestral flourish. Nary a note nor second is wasted on the entirety of the record, as just the right amount of fat has been trimmed without abdicating the finesse Amorphis commands.

Despite the album’s title, Amorphis are no longer pushing boundaries of any sort – they did that ages ago. Instead, they’ve spent the past decade perfecting their craft. For a band who long ago overpaid their dues and have committed themselves to excellence, that’s way more than good enough. Amorphis no longer merely stands on the shoulders of giants –  they stand on the shoulders of giants of their own making, and the shadow they cast will long outlive the beast itself.

Release Date: August 29th, 2025
Record Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
Genre: Progressive Metal

Musicians:

• Tomi Joutsen / Vocals
• Esa Holopainen / Guitar
• Tomi Koivusaari / Guitar
• Santeri Kallio / Keyboards
• Olli-Pekka Laine / Bass
• Jan Rechberger / Drums

Borderland Track-list:

1. The Circle
2. Bones
3. Dancing Shadow
4. Fog To Fog
5. The Strange
6. Tempest
7. Light And Shadow
8. The Lantern
9. Borderland
10. Despair

Bonus Tracks (digipak-CD & vinyl only!)

11. War Band
12. Rowan And The Cloud

Order Borderland here