Tales from the Thousand Lakes in Bloomington, MN

Bolder than
The Karelian Isthmus
and conceptually superior to later attempts at
progressive
but radio-friendly '90s
metal
,
Tales From the Thousand Lakes
might just be
Amorphis
' best recording. This record is heavy, yet never succumbs to the inane extremes common to the melodic
death metal
genre. The guitars and drums are in ample supply, and a rare attention to arrangement and production really sets this disc apart. The guttural vocal work isn't for every
fan, but the
neo-prog
instrumental work and overall heaviness should impress those turned off by the throaty rants. In a possible attempt to widen the band's appeal,
Tomi Koivusaari
briefly sings, which doesn't exactly work out. These moments of confusion are short-lived, though, and they hardly blemish the release. The subtle addition of keyboards is a nice touch --
' captivation with the instrument would soften later efforts. So even though
heralded a shift toward later, inferior recordings, the new and old are balanced precisely on this 1994
Relapse
offering. ~ Vincent Jeffries