Amorphis - Eclipse (2006)

After the stunning defeat of Far From the Sun three years earlier, Amorphis recouped and recruited Tomi Joutsen of Sinisthra to replace Pasi Koskinen on the vocals, and signed to Nuclear Blast. It was a good choice, because while Joutsen does have a deeper, more rock & roll edge to his tone, which took a little getting used to, he is fully capable of the range of growls and cleans of his predecessor. Eclipse was a very positive step forward (and backwards), because from the proggy, slamming keyboards and melody that open "Two Moons", the band makes it clear they are returning to their better days (Elegy in particular), without fully abandoning the 'advances' they made through the late 90s.

Now, I'm not saying this comes anything close to the quality of yesteryear, but it's at least a reasonable attempt, and the polar opposite to the stagnant Far from the Sun. This is a pleasant listen throughout, most songs featuring at least some catchy moment, and the thick broth of piano, synthesizer, raging guitar rhythms is finally back where it belongs, smack dab in the center of 1996. This is the sound of an invigorated band who have cast aside the diminishing returns of their ambitions and returned to the sunshine.

Eclipse opens with a bang in the thundering "Two Moons", with flanged, grinding guitars that transform into an escalating, melodic chorus, the band showing off the range of Tomi Joutsen right up front. He can do pretty, he can do powerful, and he can even combine the two, with a dirty undercurrent to his melodic lines as the verse crashes. "House of Sleep" would be the first single for this album, and it's got a soaring vocal chorus and adequate melody, but not too memorable. "Leaves Scar" commences with fluted grace, before a surging Viking metal moment in which Joutsen lets the growls out; the chorus is quite powerful and it's one of my particular favorites of this album. "Born from Fire" features a sad and effective melody throughout, whether on the guitar or repeated through the pianos at the mid-track breakdown, and "Under a Soil and Black Stone" is a swaggering piece which builds to an appropriate climax of choir-like organs and folk-tinged guitar lines reminiscent of tracks like "The Way" from Tuonela.

To the stars shine
Casting my eyes by the long nights
Blessed I was
To rest then

"Perkele (The God of Fire)" spices up the record with some low-end, grooving doom/death which sounds straight from Tales from the Thousand Lakes, and Joutsen truly belts forth the growls, which combine with the wahs and cruising, crushing pace of the track to create another of the more memorable tracks. "The Smoke" centers around one of those Amorphis melodies so catchy that you wonder why it was never written before (or was it?), and some more growls during the chorus. I like where this is going! Joutsen gets pretty manly and emotional in the chorus for "Same Flesh", and "Brother Moon" is the perfect theme to a Finnish Western...with spears and frost below a night sky. "Empty Opening" builds to a steady, memorable chorus with a surge of octave chords and bristling organs. If you've got the American edition of Eclipse, you will also have "Stonewoman", the b-side for the House of Sleep single, and it fit rights in, with soothing vocal dual melodies in the verse, and another strong chorus.

The tones for the album are highly fulfilling, with the best mix post-Elegy that the band had mustered. Thick bass, chugging guitars, scintillating melodies, excellent synths and organs that weave seamlessly across the rock elements. For the most part, the songs are great, with 1-2 exceptions, and it's had an opposite effect on me than some of their albums like Tuonela and Am Universum...that is to say, its appeal has only increased with age. A highly refreshing effort and the beginning to a positive new era for the Finns.

Highlights: Leaves Scar, Perkele (The God of Fire), The Smoke, Empty Opening

Verdict: Win [8.25/10] (she finally grew into her full might)

http://www.amorphis.net