Amorphis : "Borderland"

 Finland's prog metallers are back with their 15th album. I think going into this album knowing it is not going to be death metal, but a darker take on what bands like Dream Theater set my expectations for success. If I go into an album by these guys wanting something that it is not going to be, then that is my fault. There are still growls used here and there, but that does not make something death metal. "Bones" does find the snarled vocals becoming dominant until the chorus, but even with the Dungeons & Dragons vibes dancing around the song, it works for me. 

The more upbeat undertones of "Dancing Shadows" remind me of Marillion. The song skips along with an energy that keeps things moving. "Fog to Fog" is a little more grandiose, and it sounds like the keyboards are playing an even bigger role this time around. They are like a Stratovarius-minded prog band who just happens to have a death metal past. There is a hint of folk metal to this one. There is a hopeful feel where I want there to be despair, but it's more about my personal tastes rather than their execution. They do shift things into a more deliberate direction midway through the song. 

The highly orchestrated and grandiose prog arrangement feels more like a Disney score than metal by the time we get to "the Strange". The growl vocals do not help to offset this. Even with keyboard solos, strum acoustic guitars, and foot on the monitor guitar god antics, the songs begin to sound the same, as the epic anthem formula wears thin and begins to bore me by "Tempest." They sadly stay the course on this epic bent of songwriting, making music that might be heard opening an anime series. 

"The Lantern" is just dark enough to turn the tide and make the song work for me. I just do not like some of the major chords they were using earlier. To my ears, those sounds are too happy. The minor keys might make this sound more like Disturbed, but it feels better. The title track just falls into the same formula that the bulk of this album has worked off of, though the last song, "Despair," is melodically more interesting. I will give this album an 8 as it is well executed and recorded, it just plays it too safe and does not feel all that heavy to me , but fans of progressive rock who wish Opeth had gone in a more Dream Theater like power-ballady direction should dig this.This album drops September 26th.  

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