Amorphis - Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994)

Amorphis is a Finnish heavy metal band founded by Jan Rechberger, Tomi Koivusaari, and Esa Holopainen in 1990. Initially, the band was a death metal act, but on later albums they evolved into playing other genres, including progressive metal, and folk metal. They frequently use the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland, as a source for their lyrics.



Amorphis is derived from the Greek 'amorphous' which means without determinate form, shapeless.



Tales from the Thousand Lakes is the second full-length album by metal band Amorphis. It is a concept album, the lyrics are based on the Finnish national epic, Kalevala. While still predominantly death metal, the album shows a greater influence of doom metal than the band's debut, along with more melodic, heavy metal-inspired riffing and elements of progressive rock and traditional Finnish folk music. The album also introduced synthesizers and clean vocals to the band's sound, though the latter was used sparingly.



This is the first Amorphis release to have an official keyboardist, Kasper Mårtenson, as any previous of the band's releases had the band's own drummer, Jan Rechberger, provide the empty keyboardist role until the band decided to have a keyboardist and also to find one being Mårtenson. With Mårtenson in the band, it is the first time the band's original lineup changed by having an additional member.



Lineup

Tomi Koivusaari – lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Esa Holopainen – lead guitar

Olli-Pekka Laine – bass

Jan Rechberger – drums

Kasper Mårtenson – keyboards



Tracklist

1. Thousand Lakes (2:04)

2. Into Hiding (3:45)

3. The Castaway (5:32)

4. First Doom (3:52)

5. Black Winter Day (3:50)

6. Drowned Maid (4:23)

7. In THe Beginning (3:37)

8. Forgotten Sunrise (4:53)

9. To Fathers Cabin (3:50)

10. Magic And Mayhem (4:27)

Total length: 40:13