Amorphis - Borderland - review
Amorphis - Borderland - review
Tracklist
01. The Circle02. Bones
03. Dancing Shadow
04. Fog To Fog
05. The Strange
06. Tempest
07. Light And Shadow
08. The Lantern
09. Borderland
10. Despair
11. War Band [limited edition bonus]
12. Rowan And The Cloud [limited edition bonus]
13. Weavers [Japanese bonus]
A review by
musclassia October 01, 2025
2015’s remarkable Under The Red Cloud was the first that the band produced with Jens Bogren, and whether due to the producer’s influence or pure coincidence, it represented the most ‘extreme’ (relatively speaking) that the band had sounded since Tomi Joutsen joined on vocals over a decade prior. Both Under The Red Cloud and Queen Of Time placed growls on almost equal footing to clean singing, and had some degree of experimentation, whether it be in the form of extreme metal hints, choirs, organs, or duets with vocalists such as Aleah Stanbridge and Anneke Van Giersbergen. In contrast, Halo felt somewhat safe, dialling back the growls by a couple of notches and largely playing with the band’s existing toolbox. While Jacob Hansen was sat in the producer’s chair this time around, things feel more similar than different when compared with their most recent outing.
As with my review of Halo, it’s worth disclosing that, for me, Joutsen-era Amorphis is about the closest thing there is to a sure thing in metal; bar perhaps “Hopeless Days” from Circle, there’s not a single track from the now 9 albums released in this period that I don't enjoy, and a record made of the weakest songs from that portion of their discography would still make for very satisfying listening for me. That said, there are still degrees of quality that differentiate their albums, and on first listens to Borderland, I was mildly underwhelmed; I’ve very much warmed to it with repeat listens, but there are still some niggles worth discussing alongside its strengths.
Looking at the album as a whole, it is perhaps their most ‘accessible’ since The Beginning Of Times, with an even more melodic focus than that of Halo; while growls appear on every song, they rarely dominate, and turn up only in fragments on the likes of “Dancing Shadow” and “Fog To Fog”. This increased melodicism may have been influenced by the higher proportion of Santeri Kallio-penned songs in the tracklist; while he’s been a consistent writer for the band since joining, with 7 out of 10 credits here, I believe this is the first album in which he’s been primarily responsible for over half the tracklist. This includes opening song “The Circle”, which is one of my favourites from the record as a whole, as its delay-laden guitar melodies, gentle tone, and warmly emotional chorus make for a sonically rich introduction to the record.
When proceeding through the tracklist, there are a few songs that are minor wildcards, although each has a precursor in the Amorphis discography. For example, the Middle Eastern influences in “Bones” take one’s mind back to similar dabblings on Under The Red Cloud’s “Death Of A King”, while the disco beats in the chorus of “Dancing Shadow” previously popped up in “Towards And Against” from Silent Waters. Given concerns regarding stagnancy that have previously been expressed towards the band's consistent style, recycling of ideas like this may further put off less convinced portions of the listening base, particularly since “Bones” falls short of the quality of “Death Of A King”. On the flipside, I find the lightness of “Dancing Shadow” very pleasant, and the chorus irresistibly catchy.
There’s a couple of other minor question marks that might be raised over the album’s tracklist aside from “Bones”. The record’s first single, “Light And Shadow”, gave me some minor trepidation towards what the album might entail when it was released, as it had slightly awkward vocal phrasing in the chorus alongside a general ‘Amorphis-by-numbers’ vibe. I’m also not that convinced by the opening minutes of the quasi-balladic “Tempest”, but this song is somewhat rescued after the second chorus by a soaring, epic synth-heavy growled bridge that takes it to a whole new level.
Still, even while I find this particular Amorphis album more open to specific critiques rather than the typical complaints occasionally voiced towards the band over a lack of innovation, I ultimately have found it to be an increasingly enticing listen the more time that I spend with it. This group have an almost unparalleled ability to write satisfying earworms, at least when it comes to my own tastes, and all the songs here (even the weaker ones) have choruses or other climaxes that I’ve found myself singing along to. On top of that, there are some clear highlights, beyond the ones I’ve already mentioned, that merit a spotlight on them.
The lively “Fog To Fog” is an instant hook, and the title track scratches a similar itch. However, I would argue that it is Esa Holopainen who has contributed the real highlights of Borderland (“The Circle” notwithstanding). On top of the aforementioned “Dancing Shadow”, he is also credited with perhaps the standout track of the album in “The Lantern”; there is a real mournful emotionality on display that I find really resonant, and song’s keyboard solo has a proper retro prog rock feel to it. Lastly, closing song “Despair” offers a similar sense of finality to previous album closers such as “Pyres On The Coast”, particularly during the choir-bolstered closing minutes.
Despite the change in producer, Amorphis are still very much Amorphis, and arguably in an even more melodically inclined mood. While it doesn’t reach the heights of the band’s best work, nor is it going to satisfy those seeking greater change from the group, it is more than strong enough to satiate those who savour the band’s nous for memorable and touching melody as much as I do.
Written on 01.10.2025 by
Written on 01.10.2025 by
Hey chief let's talk why not Comments
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My listening experience mirrors yours and I'm not seeing anything with which I disagree. I'm a bit surprised to say it, but it's a solid album - better than my first impression of it being a bit too easygoing and friendly. I was put off at first by the production and the comfortable familiarity of the songwriting. As it stands now, I'd put it somewhere ahead of The Beginning of Times, Circle, and Halo, but not quite up to the heights of their peak for the Joutsen era.
---- When you change yourself, you change the world
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Posts: 1122 Written by [user id=336916] on 02.10.2025 at 20:00 Out of the bonus tracks I've heard Weavers which is written by Jan Rechberger. While it's a pretty good song on it's own it honestly doesn't even sound like Amorphis. Put someone else on vocals and I couldn't tell.
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I haven't listened to the bonus tracks, so the only song that really stands out for me is "The Lantern". The album is eurovision metal to my ears, which is not inherently bad, but I just don't understand what the growls are for. More often than not, they don't fit the songs or the music.
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Posts: 1122 Written by nikarg on 03.10.2025 at 07:26 Joutsen doesn't have the range for what "eurovision metal" singers usually do, so he simply plays to his strengths to introduce variety and intensity. I think The Circle has the best use of growls on the entire album due to the striking contrast. To each their own though, obviously.
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I've always thought that Joutsen uses growls in the same way that a singer who is a belter might go for a strong high note in the chorus to signal buildup and intensity. It's like the guitarist stomping on the tube screamer right before the solo to give the sound more presence and cut.
---- When you change yourself, you change the world
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