The Borderland. It’s a space in-between, a place that can’t be described in one word, or even one sentence. It’s also a perfectly chosen title for the 15th album from progressive metal masters Amorphis. The Borderland is, we know this connection with the earth is important, but we often ignore it due to the modern demands of society. This concept is not only told in lyrics, but is paired with the Finnish band’s most authentic effort to date musically.
The album opens with “Circle”. It immediately feels like a continuation of their previous album, Halo, with the homage to nature. While this song describes a beautiful wilderness, a yearning feeling is woven into the song, carrying through the entirety of the album. “Bones” brings in a massive eastern-inspired melody and head-bang-worthy beat that pulls you right in. The guitar + synth combination solo is spectacular as well. I’ve looped this song many times since it was released as a single in July, and it’s one of my favorite tracks on the album.
“Dancing Shadow” is the latest single and it just feels so Amorphis. The bell-like keys in the intro, galloping drums, fluttery guitar riffs, and the contrast of growled and clean vocals at the chorus. The contrast between the heaviness and the bright, groovy melody in this song does feel like sunlight dancing between tree branches in sound form. The 4th track, “Fog to Fog,” is when the album seems to get a bit sadder. The main melody is slower, lyrics are rather somber. The yearning for “a path to the sun” is all too relatable some days.
“The Strange” has a whimsical, almost music box intro. This song lands halfway through the album, and it does give a tunnel through the trees, a circle of mushrooms feel to it. This song expresses the deep-down knowing that we as humans aren’t made for being indoors all day, overexposure to the world through a phone lens like this. It feels strange, not quite right, but it’s hard to know how to fill the emptiness.
“Tempest” is a gorgeous ballad-esque track. This song feels like the earth is reaching for you, it made me misty eyed when I listened to the lyrics. “You see the mountain, blue, glimmering in the distance, waiting for you. It’s looking at you; it sees your life. It’s looking at you, it sees your death.” The way Tomi sings this line sinks right into the heart. My synth-enthusiast heart, while slightly wounded by the lyrics of this song, was also delighted with the synthesizers and keys being the main instruments in this track.
“Light and Shadow” was the 1st single for the album. It’s another vibrant homage to nature. It’s a reconnecting to our roots song with flowing and glowing guitar hooks and the sunlight dancing on the waves, with a melody from the keyboards. I really enjoyed the use of the clean vocals vs growled in this song, it truly emphasised the light and dark from the title. The 8th track, “The Lantern,” has a moth to a flame fluttering quality to it. The folk elements really give this an earthy, re-plant your roots feel. This one seems to be in the shroud of night, fire being the light source in this region of the Borderland. Plus another excellent synth solo was an absolute delight.
Next comes “Borderland”. Choosing this song as the title track was a spot on choice. This song truly does evoke the theme of the full album perfectly. It is interesting how when the lyrics talk about “the dead,” they aren’t exactly speaking of those who are physically dead. They’re also talking about feeling dead inside. The darkness that takes root from being disconnected from who we are, what grounds us, and what makes us feel alive. The closing track, “Despair,” finishes the album with a vivid and profound sadness. The way the vocals at the chorus are almost drowned by the guitars feels deliberate; the uncertainty on how to recenter in this current world is like a muffled scream. The solo portion in this song is so beautiful, the guitars and keys paint an aurora of vibrant melancholy.
Borderland by Amorphis is a powerful addition to their extensive album catalogue. This album addresses feelings of disconnect in a powerful, but not at all preachy or a “phone BAD!” way. The band was aiming for this concept to be more timeless because feelings of disconnect aren’t simply from modern technology. These songs are also beautiful, melody-wise. Vibrant and dreamy, but it also carries a feeling of yearning to the very end. Amorphis managed to outdo themselves with Borderland, and I can’t wait to see them live again soon.
Amorphis will release their new album, Borderland, on September 26th via Reigning Phoenix Music. Pre-orders are available here.
