Amorphis – Borderland
Amorphis – Borderland
Reigning Phoenix Music
Release Date: 26/09/25
Review by Rick Eaglestone
8/10
“The Tales From A Thousand Lakes” has firmly been embedded in my life since 1995, so trying to figure out how to properly articulate what Amorphis have meant to me over the years would be a complete separate piece! Instead, let’s move onward to the band’s fifteenth studio album, “Borderland.”
Three years have passed since “Halo” but the Finnish masters have stepped away from their comfort zone with longtime producer Jens Bogren, and enlisted the talents of Danish producer Jacob Hansen who brings the clarity and punch that complements their already sophisticated songwriting without overwhelming it.
The album opens with “The Circle,” and immediately there is something primal about it that connects to Amorphis’s early folk influences while maintaining their modern soundscapes. It is a perfect opener because it establishes the album’s central theme of cyclical journeys and transformations.
This is followed up with “Bones” where the track builds from a haunting acoustic passage into a full-blown Melodic Death Metal assault, complete with Tomi’s growls providing a perfect counterpoint to his clean singing.
The band’s first single “Light and Shadow” absolutely encapsulates what makes “Borderland” so compelling and showcases one of Amorphis’s greatest strengths: their ability to balance light and dark, heavy, and melodic, ancient, and modern. It is this duality that has kept them relevant for three decades.
“Dancing Shadow” continues the album’s exploration of duality and transformation. The track opens with what sounds like traditional Finnish folk instrumentation before evolving into something entirely contemporary. It is here that you can really hear how Hansen’s production enhances the band’s natural dynamics and as a sidenote I am glad that the original working title of Disco Tiger was not used – can you imagine what the music video would have been like!
There is some experimentation on “The Strange” incorporating everything from orchestral patches to subtle electronic textures, there are elements here that I think may indicate what the band could do going forward, but then Heavy and Melodic on “Tempest.
The guitar work on “The Lantern” is particularly noteworthy. Now I did mention “1000 lakes” earlier? For years I dipped into it alongside “Am Universum”, but the fandom fire was firmly lit again in 2006 with “Eclipse” which, even as I type this, I realise was 19 years ago! These older sounds combine on the album’s title track, “Borderland”, but feels both refined and adventurous simultaneously.
There is time for just one more sweeping, emotive outpouring, and “Despair” is the perfect pallet-cleansing closer. Simply put, “Borderland” is certainly an album that rewards patience and attention, but by the end, there is certainly a sense of invigoration.
“After three and half decades, we still follow our instincts,” Koivusaari concludes. “And honestly, ‘Borderland’ might be the most Amorphis-sounding album we’ve ever made. After such a long and successful career, that feels pretty damn great!”
TRACKLISTING:
01. The Circle
02. Bones
03. Dancing Shadow
04. Fog To Fog
05. The Strange
06. Tempest
07. Light And Shadoe
08. The Lantern
09. Borderland
10. Despair
LINKS:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
