Amorphis

My Kantele (Relapse)
by Dave Bone

If you grew up on the early, guttural vocals and churning, down-tuned guitars of Amorphis, then this is going to require an open mind for a very different musical change. They’re more like a coffee-shop Queensrÿche now. The band’s past three albums have slowly been working their progressive way down the pixie-dust sprinkled path of spacey, acoustic folk music. Five songs bridge the gap between Elegy and the album to come with this EP. A song that appeared on Elegy, “My Kantele,” is transformed into a metalhead lullaby with acoustic guitars and an electric one made to sound like a sitar. Also included are covers of space rock gods Hawkwind and Kingston Wall, delivering the album’s highlights.