Following the announcement of their 15th studio album Borderland, Finnish metal icons Amorphis release the first single from their forthcoming opus today. “Light And Shadow,” which can also be interpreted as a metaphor of the album title in the sense of counter-play between two parties close to each other, wins over listeners right away with an uplifting piano intro, enriched by an electronic sound tapestry. As the song unfolds, it transforms into a driving, mythic anthem of self-discovery, a powerful reminder of why Amorphis remain unrivalled in crafting melancholic majesty.
Santeri Kallio, who wrote the music, adds: “I threw my brain into the closet and went with the flow – without stressing about opinions. I didn’t want to repeat the old nor copy what we’ve already done before. When I heard Tomi’s final vocal parts, I realised that ‘Light And Shadow’ would be the perfect introduction to our new album!”
After recording four albums in a row in Sweden, Hansen Studios (Jacob Hansen, Denmark; Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear etc.) were the destination of choice in late 2024 and early 2025. The album artwork was designed by Dutch artist Marald Van Haasteren (Metallica, Black Sabbath, Kvelertak, Alcest etc.) this time.
Besides newly collaborating with Hansen and Van Haasteren, Amorphis still rely on the lyrical craftsmanship of Pekka Kainulainen, who’s been courageously writing for the band since their 2007 offering Silent Waters. About his inspiration for Borderland, Kainulainen comments: “The generations that came here before us, our ancestors, also had to face death and destruction. Honouring the mythologies of mankind, as well as the listeners of Amorphis, I wrote lyrics that hopefully convey some of the humility and strength that mankind has always depended on.”
With Borderland, the title of the album couldn’t have been chosen more fittingly. Throughout their career, spanning over more than three decades, Amorphis — Tomi Joutsen (vocals), Esa Holopainen (guitars), Tomi Koivusaari (guitars), Olli-Pekka Laine (bass), Santeri Kallio (keyboards) and Jan Rechberger (drums & percussion) — have been an ever-evolving act, wandering on an exciting boundary-pushing path. From their sinister death metal debut Karelian Isthmus over genre-defining mid-90s melodic death works like Tales From The Thousand Lakes and Elegy as well as the melodic 2000’s grandeur of Eclipse or Skyforger to records combining the very best of all prior eras to refreshing new soundscapes (f.e. Under The Red Cloud or Queen Of Time): Whatever this group works on promises long-range success.
Amorphis’ forthcoming album will be released in time for a massive headline tour in their home country as well as a trip as part of an arena-filling package with Arch Enemy, Eluveitie and Gatecreeper, kicking off in Stuttgart, Germany on October 10.
