I have a strange relationship with Circle, Amorphis’s first album with
lyrics depicting an original concept, courtesy of the lyricist Pekka. That is
mostly due to the fact that although I have many favourite songs singled out
for years since I first heard them in concert in 2013 here in Lisbon, (opener
for both the concert and the album, “Shades of Grey”, and the bonus track “Dead
Mans’ Dream competing for the top spot), I have always gotten a different
experience from listening to the record, sometimes I enjoy all of the tracks,
sometimes one stands out where once it had not.
One thing is certain, I have been a fan of Amorphis
since that concert and have attempted to listen to as many records of them as
possible, and in the process I have realized this Finnish band has always had a
great gift for carving at least one stand out singles, in spite of their gradual shift from death metal to a
current fusion of genres, aforementioned death metal, power metal and folk. “My
Kantele” in its many recorded versions has always been a favourite, for
example.
So for an introduction to an amazing band, with an
impressive catalogue, I definitely recommend Circle. Each new earing of the record uncovers new reasons to enjoy
it (and to story the lyrics tell is very inspiring).
P.S.: To support Amorphis, check the bellow links:
Band: http://www.amorphis.net/
