Am Universum

Am Universum

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
How the increasingly wispy Amorphis continues to be identified as a metal band is a mystery, given that the keyboard-laden sound of this Finnish band is one guitar away from being U2 or matchbox twenty. The difference between Amorphis and the mawkish side of modern rock is in the songwriting; Amorphis don't sell their songs away with craven pop hooks. Though very easy-going, Amorphis have the conviction of the Cult or Angel Rat-era Voivod. Most importantly, after wandering out of the Scandinavian metal ghetto in the mid-1990s, Amorphis is finally secure in its navigation of the ethereal. The wistful vocals, the tickling threads of guitar, and the expanse of electronic organ intertwine beautifully, so that Am Universum is never in danger of being blown off its course by any particular prevailing trend. Where the good ship Amorphis is eventually headed is a little harder to fathom. --Ian Christe

Product Description
The 2001 album is breathtaking sonic landscape that is as graceful as it is magical, seamlessly melding harmonious vocals with lavish melodies and hypnotic guitar/keyboard interplay. Produced by Simon Efemey (Paradise Lost, Deceased). Standard jewel case.

Tracks:

Alone
Goddess (Of The Sad Man)
The Night Is Over
Shatters Within
Crimson Wave
Drifting Memories
Forever More
Veil Of Sin
Captured State
Grieve Stricken Heart

Amazon.com

How the increasingly wispy Amorphis continues to be identified as a metal band is a mystery, given that the keyboard-laden sound of this Finnish band is one guitar away from being U2 or matchbox twenty. The difference between Amorphis and the mawkish side of modern rock is in the songwriting; Amorphis don't sell their songs away with craven pop hooks. Though very easy-going, Amorphis have the conviction of the Cult or Angel Rat-era Voivod. Most importantly, after wandering out of the Scandinavian metal ghetto in the mid-1990s, Amorphis is finally secure in its navigation of the ethereal. The wistful vocals, the tickling threads of guitar, and the expanse of electronic organ intertwine beautifully, so that Am Universum is never in danger of being blown off its course by any particular prevailing trend. Where the good ship Amorphis is eventually headed is a little harder to fathom. --Ian Christe

Album Description

The 2001 album is breathtaking sonic landscape that is as graceful as it is magical, seamlessly melding harmonious vocals with lavish melodies and hypnotic guitar/keyboard interplay. Produced by Simon Efemey (Paradise Lost, Deceased). Standard jewel case.

Customer Reviews:

Tuonela with, perhaps, more instrumentation.......2005-02-07

Imagine Tuonela's creative advances and enhance them. Such is Am Universum, the Finnish sextet's sixth studio album and next step in its sound progression. Tuonela saw the band abandoning its death-metal roots and moving towards a spacey, 70's prog-rock sound, incorporating saxophones and flutes into their already eclectic sound. Am Universum continues this change in sound but maintains the sound's footing anchored to the sound established in their previous album. Songs such as "Goddess (Of the Sad Man)" and "Grieve Stricken Heart" are examples of Amorphis' still-beating aggression, while "Crimson Wave" and the breathtaking "Veil of Sin", two saxophone-flaunting pieces, push Amorphis' limits away from metal and towards moodier, jazzy melodies. There is little else to be said about the difference between this album and its predecessor, which set the standard for the band's new sound. Equally lauded by critics and half-embraced by fans, Amorphis found a new audience (and a strong fidelity in its lifelong fans) with Am Universum. Fans of Tuonela are invited.

See also: Amorphis - Tuonela, Green Carnation - A Blessing in Disguise

Two Nickles for a Dime.......2004-06-21

It sounds exactly like Tounella, thier last album. I mean exactly like it. However these songs are more like the B-Sides of that album. Pretty average and not very inpiring. I was a little disappointed. Hopefully they try to go in a different direction the next time cause this release is not that great.

Amorphis is about integrity and Am Universum is their proof.......2004-05-19

It is funny how Amorphis gets all this negative feedback from their so-called fans. Most of them are unfortunately close-minded folks who won't accept anything different from the band's earlier melodic doom-death driven Tales from the Thousand Lakes. I don't see it. Contrary to bands like Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Tiamat or Ulver who also started out as extreme metal bands, Amorphis never went on to become a lousy electronic/goth act completely stripped off their integrity. It is hard to take any comment that says they have 'sold out' seriously when the music on Am Universum is deeply rooted in jazz harmonies and develops into powerful and Floydan psychedelic expression. It's one thing to dislike a band's change of musical direction, but it's a completely different matter to call them sell-outs just because they are actually exploring with deeper musical ideas.

I happen to like some of Tiamat and Ulver's newer material but think their earlier work is much better. As for Amorphis, while the Tales and Elegy era will probably appeal to me the best, I think their current style which is a culmination of a wide variety of genres is really successful. It is understandable that the fans on the extreme end of the equation may not like this, but the ones who appreciate musical growth and change combined with more powerful artistic expression and slightly progressive ingredients are bound to -- at least -- appreciate this CD, if not dig it completely.

Am Universum may be my favourite Amorphis album from the post-Elegy era of the band which signalled the change of their direction. While Tuonela was heavily folk-tinged, their last one, Far from the Sun displays their more modern and guitar-driven updated sound. Am Universum falls somewhere in between but is very heavily influenced by the 70's and particularly the keyboard work is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's psychedelic era. The song arrangements are strengthened with jazzy elements particularly in tracks such as "Crimson Wave", "Drifting Memories" and "Captured State". The addition of saxophone seems to have put so many fans off, but don't get it the wrong way. It is delicately placed in the mix and it never overpowers any other instrument. The keyboard work and guitar riffing is much more on jazz ground than the saxophone.

"Alone" is my personal favourite off this album and also one of the best Amorphis tunes ever penned in my opinion. The keyboard work that is thrown in the middle is a great homage to the 70's and puts a smile on my face whenever I hear it and the structure of the song refuses to give in and builds up with another beautiful chorus delivered flawlessly by Pasi and the tune closes with a soothing guitar solo that fades into layers of white noise. Simply brilliant. "Crimson Wave" is another perfect tune that brings the band's creative approach to the focus of the album displaying the rich harmonies buried within the composition which we can hear on any King Crimson release of the early 70's. The sometimes overlooked "Veil of Sin" is the secret gem of Am Universum. The emotional singing is central here with subtle keyboard and guitar work dancing around the vocals. Songs like "Goddes (of the Sad Man)" and "Forever More" are more straightforward tunes we heard on Far from the Sun with their direct approach, repetitive choruses and more updated guitar sound.

Overall Am Universum has a lot of substance. The guys have created a very full album without depending on any filler tracks. This is perhaps the most complex disc of their last three outputs and this may be one of the factors why it gets bashed so badly by some. I enjoy every single Amorphis album to one degree or another but Am Universum ranks a bit higher than most of their other CDs.

Decent.......2003-09-22

The album has some decent songs like alone and grave stricken heart. The music still has metal sound in it, yet its way softer and has little left from the great days of elegy and tuonella. Kinda of an album for metal fans gone old. Amorphis is great band, but i'm turning my attention towards opeth for musical dark metal. I've been listening to amorphis since tuonella came out, and it saddens me to see all these non-metal people jump in on after seeing a vid or hearing on the radio, and judging all the older albums they don't have the appreciation for.

Only the narrow-minded will not enjoy this.......2003-06-22

This is my favorite band of all time, and they have yet to disappoint me.

It's funny how they have lived up to their name over the years, starting off as "just another death metal band," and evolving into the amazingly in-depth machine they are today. If you haven't heard Amorphis since the "Tales From The Thousand Lakes" 1994 album (their most popular to date), you're going to be in for a pretty big surprise here as the growling, unintelligible death metal vocals are gone (and not missed), and the band has matured far beyond just using two guitars, a bass, and drums. Amorphis doesn't write music, they construct it.

You'll certainly see people who don't like anything beyond their old style of "death metal with a keyboard here and there" knocking this album, but don't let their unwillingness to deal with change for the better dissuade you - this is one of the most underrated bands around today, and you won't be disappointed. Die hard fans need to buy every Amorphis album since there hasn't been a disappointing one yet (regardless of the huge change in style over the course of their 5 major albums), and the general public should at LEAST pick up this one and Tuonela, and possibly "Far From The Sun" when it comes out in the US this Fall.

Am Universum
Average customer rating:
Am Universum
Amorphis
Manufacturer: Jvc Japan
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Death Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Rock | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005HWDI
Release Date: 2001-05-29

Tracks:

Alone
Goddes (Of the Sadman)
Night Is Over
Shattes Within
Crimson Wave
Drifting Memories
Forever More
Veil of Sin
Captured State
Grieve Stricken Heart
Too Much to See

Album Description

Japanese edition of the Finnish metal band's 7th studio album. 11 tracks including one bonus track 'Too Much To See'. Standard jewel case. 2001 release.

Album Details

Japanese version featuring a bonus track: 'Too Much to See'.