Amorphis - Eclipse (2006)

   Eclipse is the first album for Amorphis with new singer Tomi Joutsen. It propelled the Finnish metal band in a direction that a lot of fans (arguably) were ready for. Eclipse brings a more progressive feel and Tomi's vocals absolutely command with the power to transition from guttural death growls to a clean melodic tone. To be blunt, this entire album is one giant earworm.

     I'll admit, when I first listened to the opening track, "Two Moons", I was kind of put off by the weird keyboard/electronic sounding intro. That might have just been me trying to sustain myself as an edge lord, because now, it's one of my favorite tracks, and is the perfect segue into understanding just how beautifully Amorphis has undertaken and mastered this new style. Joutsen's voice is strong and soft in the same motion, all while supported collectively by the band who, in my opinion, sound the most put together on this album than they will in the ones released after Eclipse. The last minute and a half of this song set the tone for the rest of the album with melodic guitar riffs and commanding vocals.
     Lyrically, the band wrote the album based off the Finnish mythology Kelevala and the tragic fate of Kullervo. They brought back their old formulas of incorporating death growls among clean lyrics, which allows the really memorable parts of the songs to be delivered with more extreme emotion. None of the songs are a disappointment. The album has a collection of folk sounding, progressive, and at times even melancholy tunes.