Amorphis went back in time 20 years

Amorphis surprised the festival audience by performing their whole album ”Tales of Thousand Lakes” (1994) instead of playing just radio hits. The album has been called one of the classic albums of Finnish heavy metal. According to the lead singer Tomi Joutsen, this was the last time the album was played in Finland.

Amorphis. Photo: Tuukka Pakarinen

The set with its blue mountain scenery creates an intense anticipation among the audience and gives a promise of a magnificent spectacle to come. A veteran fan in the audience is eagerly waiting for the band’s new album that will be released in fall.

The band starts off with energy and extravagance, as usual. The stage breathes fire and the listeners are riveted by the first song. More people join the audience as the band plays on and the atmosphere intensifies. Joutsen makes the audience shout and scream, and this contributes more to the ambience than the few words he speaks between the songs.

The vocals are mostly doom metal growling, but the catching melodic guitar riffs and emotional solos create glimpses of beauty in the middle of the darkness. The drumming of Jan Rechberg makes the crowd stomp their feet to the beat and pump their fists in the air. Every now and then the singer plays the tambourine and afterwards hurls it to the stage floor. Santeri Kallio, the keyboardist, plays with his eyes closed and the melodies invite the audience to dance. It is clear that the band is enjoying itself on the stage.

The devoted crowd shows its enthusiasm by filling the silent drinking breaks of the band with screaming and shouting. People play air guitar and mosh as the band plays on. The beer tents are crowded. The swirling mosh pit is acknowledged by Joutsen and this inspires more people to join it during the next song. Some people even move from the other side to join in.

Tomi Joutsen. Photo: Kalle Kervinen

Joutsen reveals that the song In the Beginning is inspired by the first chapter of a famous book. This is a reference to The Kalevala, the national epic of Karelia and Finland, to which the whole album “Tales of the Thousand Lakes” is based on.

At the end of the gig, the singer declares that Ilosaarirock is the best festival in the world. He continues by saying that he might have peed himself a little bit. The whole gig ends in rumble and the pounding of the bass. The fans have been treated with a rare gig set that won’t be heard on Finnish stages in the future.

Text: Anne Tuovinen
Photo: Tuukka Pakarinen and Kalle Kervinen
Translation: Tuuli Ahonen