Amorphis - Chapters (2003)

Ladies and gentlemen, step on board for the latest cash and grab sensation! Relapse Records, though having been parted from their Finnish cows, decided it might be best to squeeze a few more drops of juice out of the old lemon. Thus begin the Chapters, a two-disc collection, the first featuring 17 tracks of music, the latter with 5 videos. Oh man, videos! This must totally be worth it. Nuts.

Most of the material here covers the first five albums of the band, though in a sort of reverse order. In other words, The Karelian Isthmus material ("Warriors Trial", "Exile of the Suns of Uisliu", and "The Lost Name of God") is tucked away near the end; it begins with Am Universum ("Alone", "Drifting Memories"), proceeds through Tuonela ("The Way", "Summer's End"), Elegy ("Better Unborn", "My Kantele", and "Weeper on the Shore"), and then Tales from the Thousand Lakes ("Black Winter Day", "The Castaway", "Drowned Maid"). Also included are "Moon and Sun" from the Black Winter Day EP and "The Brother-Slayer" from My Kantele EP. Since this has all been released before, on a series of albums that range from essential to just okay, there is really no cause for a repressing. In fact, the only tracks the average Amorphis fan might not be familiar with are "Too Late to See" from the Alone single, and "Northern Lights" from the Divinity single. But even these are not worth shelling out any of your hard earned cash for this release.

Had Chapters been a collection of rare and unreleased material (like the single B-sides), it would hold some intrinsic value. Alas, it is pure ass-rape, and customary for a metal or independent label to pad their sales by releasing shit you already have. I have never understood the concept, not here and not 30 years ago when huge rock/pop acts had 'greatest hits' albums. You might think to yourself, 'but I want the own the videos', but hold out for that eventual DVD release. It's a cash grab.

So if you happen to be born yesterday, and you're wetting your feet in the thousand lakes for the first time, heed my advice. Let's say this disc only costs $8-10. Take that same $8-10, and go buy Elegy or Tales from the Thousand Lakes. In fact, spend $20 and buy both of them. You can thank me later.

Verdict: Epic Fail [0/10] (People like money, I get it. I like integrity. Is it really so difficult to provide one for the other?)

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