"The Luckless Lands of the North."

Shelby's post about Finnish metal over at Illogical Contraption a little while ago really stroked my shaft. Uh, musically, that is. I did however notice one glaring omission, which I can only attribute to the overwhelming obviousness of it's inclusion in the canon: Amorphis was left completely out of the discussion. Along with Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, Amorphis was one of the first DM bands to defile and corrupt my teenage mind. Or, more likely, they satisfied demented adolescent longings which had been theretofore repressed and dormant. After all, teenage boys don't spend much time worrying about things outside of sex, death, and self-gratification. Unlike their 'merican counterparts, who relied on speed, over the top gore, and cartoonish Satan-worship; Amorphis relied on a much more grandiose, melodic formula. Much like their neighbors in the Norwegian Black Metal scene which was at this time taking it's first iconoclastic steps, Amorphis chose to forge their Metal on the coals of their cultural history. This album, in particular reflects themes of national identity, as it is based on The Kalevala, The Epic Poem of Finland. So, as you might expect, if one wanted to describe the sound and themes of "Tales From The Thousand Lakes", the adjective "epic" might be more appropriate here than almost anywhere else. This is Finnish Metal in its purest form. Amorphis is still going, and I hate to be the "I only like their old stuff" guy, but this song off their newest one sounds like that awful HIM band that all the mall kids were so excited about a few years ago. Bad, but at least Amorphis gets credit for being wimpy first, and pioneering that sound. As a general guide, any Amorphis release with this logo:
= probably really good.
If it has a variation of this logo:
= probably not so good.
At least they made it convenient.

"From the Land of the Sky Blue Water - Amorphis, The Metal Refreshing." (DL)

(On an interesting side note, I found this map showing people of Finnish descent in America. Not, surprisingly, they are all here in Minnesota, "Land of 10,000 Lakes." Also the word "Tundra" is of Finnish origin. "Frozen Tundra" is my favorite way to describe Minnesota.)

Mary Had A Little One

I had meant to do a Jucifer post way back in October, after I finally got the chance to see them live. I have some photos from their set, and I was waiting to transfer them to my PC. Unfortunately, I don't have a card reader, or cable to transfer them over, thus the delay in posting. But, this isn't about my photos, or my experience - it is about cluing you in to an extremely good band that you may have slept on. Jucifer is a two-piece sludge/heavy metal band from Athens, Georgia. For 18 yrs., they have relentlessly pummeled crowds around the country with their music. Just look at the wall of amps and the size of that Vistalite kit:

Going through their discography, one finds a band that is not content to be static, yet never lacking in direction or intent. While most of the music is pounding and threatening, Amber and Edgar aren't afraid to slow things down and lull you into a false sense of comfort with passages of clean vocals and minimal drum beats, whose placid vistas are soon firebombed with more HEAVY FUCKING METAL. They've got a lil' something for almost any niche-minded headbanger. The newest album, Throned in Blood, even incorporates elements of Black Metal without hopping on any bandwagons or pretending any claims. Blast beats and wailing, tortured screams abound, and I highly recommend you go buy it, dude. It's "It." However, I would feel bad cheating such a hard-working band by posting their latest release, henceforth I have reached back into their catalogue and pulled what I think might be their least known release, 2001'2 Lamb's EP. Here you'll get a glimpse of the bands range and dynamic songwriting abilities, along with a sore neck and some broken furniture if you've got the volume up. Hide the cat.

"Off to the edge"(DL)