Amorphis – Queen of Time (Review)

This is the thirteenth album from veteran Finnish metal band Amorphis.

The latest Amorphis album contains another 57 minutes of the band’s charismatic and beguiling mix of folk and progressive-tinged metal and rock.

Well, I say ‘another’, but the 2018 incarnation of Amorphis sees them expanding their sound to create a richer, fuller, almost cinematic sound. Queen of Time is huge in every way. As well as the band’s keyboardist and the usual instrumentation you would expect, Queen of Time features other musical enhancements such as pipes, saxophone, a choir, and an orchestra. Guest singers appear too, further fleshing out the end product of the band’s creative vision, and the resulting album is an epic exploration of old and new.

As a metal band, there’s still more than enough meaty riffs and heavy guitars, but there’s no doubt that this new Amorphis album is one of their most layered and multifaceted releases yet. The band truly revel in the full range of their abilities across these songs, from dark aggression through to quirky softness.

These songs incorporate elements of many different Amorphis eras, and succeed in blending them seamlessly into a hoilstic package that also sees the band explore new horizons too. It’s an ambitious release that’s as accomplished as you would expect from a band as professional and long-serving as this one. That their creative zest remains undiminished is fantastic, and the band’s latest album is a firm triumph.

I very much like the fact that after such a long career and so many albums Amorphis continue to stretch themselves and their style. Queen of Time takes the familiar Amorphis sound and expands upon it in remarkable ways, breathing new life into a band that were still pretty damn vibrant anyway.

Very highly recommended; Queen of Time is quite a journey.