Being a native Finn, I was forced to read the 19th-century compilation of epic poetry, Kalevala, by my elementary school teacher in the early 1980s. Obviously, at the tender age of ten, I wasn’t exactly thrilled by Finnish folklore and mythology, so this experience marred my opinion of that fine book for years to come. So, when the up-and-coming Finnish metal brigade, AMORPHIS, announced that their second studio album “Tales From the Thousand Lakes,” released on July 12th, 1994, via Relapse Records, was inspired by this national epic, I must admit to having first thought, “What utter garbage is this?!” It wasn’t until two years later when I saw the band live at Ruisrock 1996, that I realized what a dunce I had been. Not only did this album prove highly influential, musically, in the budding melodic death metal genre but the use of verses from Kalevala sure elevated the other-worldly atmosphere to a league of its own. Most importantly, the band’s deliberate departure from the murky darkness of the debut, “The Karelian Isthmus,” (1992) laid the foundation for future success with album classics, such as “Elegy” (1996) and “Tuonela” (1999). On this endeavor, AMORPHIS boldly stepped out of their comfort zone, maybe missing the mark slightly with some of the tracks but creating a timeless masterpiece – a diamond with a few rough edges. In retrospect, it is easy to see how this album was to cement the elements for the signature sound of the band.
A short piano intro sets things rolling under the title, “Thousand Lakes.” Perhaps the time has not been that gentle to the synthetic sound of the piano – like it hasn’t been, practically, to any synth sounds from this particular era. Judging by the clonky timbre, the keyboard could have been Kurzweil K2000 which became famous from Robert Miles’s trance hit “Children,” a year later. You cannot hold this sonic blemish against the band, though. The song’s atmosphere feels pretty haunting, still after 30 years. This album was the first AMORPHIS effort to feature keyboards (by Kasper Mårtenson) – a trait that undoubtedly alienated some of those fans who had sworn to the unholy tenets of old-school death metal. In my humble opinion, this album wouldn’t have become such a timeless monolith without the keyboards. Mårtenson‘s tasty licks and synth textures factor in quite a bit to the album’s long-lasting appeal.
What made this effort stand out at the time was the melodicism, deep-fried in Slavic melancholy, which later became the band’s calling card. Whether the band flirts with death metal, progressive rock, or hippie folk flourishes, it all boils down to a strong sense of melody. Bangers such as “Black Winter Day” or “Drowned Maid” still pack a punch for this very reason. Then, for a lifelong KINGSTON WALL fan, the Middle-Eastern-vibed pinches of psychedelia in tracks such as “The Castaway” and “To Father’s Cabin” work wonders. A few years later, these metal rogues covered the KW classic, “And I Hear You Call,” on the 1997 EP, “My Kantele.” If my memory serves me right, as per “Petri Wallin Saaga” biography written by Viljami Puustinen, AMORPHIS guitarist Esa Holopainen knew KINGSTON WALL‘s primus motor Petri Walli in the early 1990s, so the flying carpet vibes might have rubbed off from there. Sure, AMORPHIS has incorporated oriental and Middle-Eastern vibes in their songs from day one to this day but the days of unbridled psychedelia were practically gone after the swinging 1990s. For such a timeless monolith, “Tales From the Thousand Lakes” sounds very much like a product of its time; some 30 years ago, bands were given wild amounts of artistic freedom, and the best ones – the likes of AMORPHIS – used it to their advantage by crafting albums that were to stand the test of time.
In 1994, melodic death metal was still taking its baby steps to become a thing. For myriad Finnish bands to come, this AMORPHIS endeavor was a genre-defining album – perhaps not the paradigm of perfection but, instead, an immense well of inspiration. Without “Tales From the Thousand Lakes” bands such as INSOMNIUM or maybe even SWALLOW THE SUN might sound drastically different. With this album, AMORPHIS cemented Slavic melodies into their death-metal conduct – defining not only their signature sound while at it but a whole sub-genre of metal to come.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Thousand Lakes
- Into Hiding
- The Castaway
- First Doom
- Black Winter Day
- Drowned Maid
- In the Beginning
- Forgotten Sunrise
- To Father’s Cabin
- Magic and Mayhem
Lineup
Tomi Koivusaari – vocals, rhythm guitars
Esa Holopainen – lead guitars
Olli-Pekka Laine – bass
Jan Rechberger – drums
Kasper Mårtenson – keyboards
guest:
Ville Tuomi – clean vocals, speech
Label
Relapse Records
