Amorphis — Borderland

Amorphis — Borderland

Finland’s legendary Amorphis are back with their 15th studio record Borderland, and after 35 years of tearing through the metal world, they’re still writing music that makes the rest of the scene look like fucking amateurs. Produced by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Arch Enemy, Amaranthe), this album finds Amorphis stepping confidently into a new era while staying true to the soul crushing, melodic, progressive death metal foundation that’s made them untouchable since the ’90s.

From the first track, “The Circle”, it’s clear Borderland is a beast with colossal riffs, that signature Finnish melancholy, and melodies that feel carved straight from the icy heart of Helsinki. “Bones” delivers one of the heaviest gut punches Amorphis have dropped in years — eastern tinged riffs, thunderous drums, and a groove that fucking stomps. “Dancing Shadow” (a.k.a. “Disco Tiger” in its demo life), which is infectious as hell and proof these veterans aren’t afraid to experiment and still kick ass doing it.

The beauty of Borderland is in its duality. “Light and Shadow” and “The Lantern” are drenched in atmosphere, cinematic layers, and Tomi Joutsen’s vocal mastery — guttural growls that shake the earth to cleans that’ll break your fucking heart. Meanwhile, the title track “Borderland” embodies everything Amorphis stand for, heavy, melodic, poetic, and timeless. And when “Despair” closes the record in a frostbitten haze of melancholy, you know you’ve just heard a band still at their creative peak, three and a half decades in.

The production is immaculate, sharp as a blade yet warm and organic — while Marald Van Haasteren’s artwork perfectly mirrors the album’s themes of heritage, conflict, and the liminal space between old worlds and new. Borderland is a statement, a reinvention, and a reminder that these Finnish titans still set the gold standard for progressive death metal.

9.5/10