| | Amorphis Karelian Isthmus CD Amorphis Discography of CDs
This reissue contains 6 bonus tracks from the band's first release PRIVILEGE OF EVIL.
The Karelian Isthmus is one of the best early-'90s European death metal debuts. Amorphis previously issued some demos that were eventually combined into Privilege of Evil, but this 1992 release is the band's first fully conceived effort. What is most impressive is the high dynamic standard that the group establishes so early in its recording career. This is due mainly to the group's heavy and quite original riffs. "Black Embrace" and "The Lost Name of God" feature some of the most effective and yet surprisingly simple guitar signatures imaginable. By themselves, these compositions and performances would be enough to warrant a strong recommendation, but The Karelian Isthmus is more than a few nice guitar phrases. The husky vocals and tight drum performances also earn Amorphis high death metal/grindcore marks. A must for fans of this group's early, melodic death metal period, The Karelian Isthmus ranks among Amorphis' finest offerings. ~ Vincent Jeffries
Full Title - The Karelian Isthmus / Privilege Of Evil. Relapse has re-issued this long out-of-print classic in a special deluxe edition. The Karelian Isthmus has been re-mastered, re-packaged, and features six bonus tracks taken from the bands first recording for Relapse (The Privilege of Evil session), 'Pilgrimage From Darkness', 'Black Embrace', 'Privilege Of Evil', 'Misery Path', 'Vulgar Necrolatry' & 'Excursing From Existance'. 2003.
All tracks have been digitally remastered. Amorphis Karelian Isthmus Songs Karelian Isthmus Review
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Purchase Karelian Isthmus CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Amorphis Tuonela CD (1999)
Karelian Isthmus album
 $12.05  
Death metal isn't for everyone -- especially first-wave Scandinavian death metal as practiced by Amorphis during the band's early years. Some love it, others don't know how seriously to take it, but everyone agrees that the folks who make such an extremely singular noise deserve a little credit for valuing an artistic construct more than the potential commercial value of more "acceptable" music. That same respect isn't usually extended to artists who make the kind of moderate rock that's perpetually heard on the radio. When artists make a break from the heavier side of this spectrum, a special kind of hatefulness is extended, and cries of "sellout" are heard emitting from the jilted voices in the heavy metal peanut gallery. As an automatic response, these accusations are short-sighted and reactionary. Years spent trying to make a living by playing death metal must have its frustrations, and nobody should be criticized for trying something new. When the results are as stifling as Tuonela, however, certain artistic "freedoms" shouldn't exactly be encouraged, either. While the record's generic hard rock turned out to be a commercial boon, it's an artistic ...
| | Amorphis Tales From The Thousand Lakes/Black Winter Day CD (1994) Reissue
Karelian Isthmus CD music
$12.59  
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 metal 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 ...
| | Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger CD (1994) Digipak
Karelian Isthmus music CDs
$10.09 
"Darkthrone is for all the evil in man," proclaims the back cover of Transilvanian Hunger, the Norwegian group's fourth release -- but more controversial is the proclamation that contained within was "Norsk Arisk Black Metal," loosely translated, "Norwegian Aryan Black Metal." One would have to be fluent in Norwegian to understand whether or not Transilvanian Hunger boasts a racist agenda, since all lyrics, save for the vampire-themed title track, are "sung" in said dialect, but such a proclamation reeks of a publicity stunt from this batch of antisocial black metallers (further evidenced by the lyrical contributions of Norwegian scenester/convicted murderer/Burzum leader Varg Vikernes). Look past this malarkey, and you'll find, well, an impenetrable wall of noise, a 39-minute blur of mosquito-buzzing guitar riffs, blastbeats, and inhuman howls. The album boasts a subbasement-level production resembling a distant radio broadcast ripe with ambient noise; the most patient of black metal listeners may find some edible scraps amid the production rubble, but only "Over Fjell ...
| | Amorphis Elegy CD (1996) Bonus Tracks
Karelian Isthmus songs
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To stand out in a field where the obvious signifiers are the most common, and therefore the most clichéd, elements, one has to know when to try something different. Amorphis had already shown itself to be a more than competent end-of-the-century Scandinavian black metal outfit, but there were plenty of others equally able to say the same. The inspired turning point had two points of origin -- recruiting another lead vocalist, Pasi Koskinen, to sing with Tomi Koivusaari, and deciding to record an album infused with earlier Finnish folk influences, both musically and lyrically. The choice of lyrical inspiration, Finland's national epic The Kalevala, isn't necessarily surprising given how often metal of all kinds has favored tales of dungeons and grue. But Amorphis wisely eschew Conan the Barbarian grotesqueries in place of the often grim existentialism found in the original poems, more like a medieval northern Metallica (or even a Joy Division, if you like) than a prancing Dio. The result is a powerful release that, if anything, feels like an equivalent to Sepultura's own inspired combination of past and present, Roots. Esa Holopainen's use of sitar on certain tracks, like the opening "Better Unborn," ...
| | Wintersun CD (2004)
Karelian Isthmus album
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At first glance, a Finnish heavy metal band named Wintersun, whose album cover shows a fallen warrior lying face down in the snow, might elicit thoughts of simplistic black metal infused with pagan or anti-Christian messages, but it doesn't take long for this eponymous debut to prove that first impressions can be deceiving. In fact, the new project of former Ensiferum and Arthemesia vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jari Mäenpäa merges the hyper-fast precision of Yngwie Malmsteen-like guitar playing (witness the speedy "Beyond the Dark Sun") with the melodic sensibilities of post-Helloween power metal (see the more diverse "Winter Madness") and a homegrown passion for folk-styled songwriting descended straight from trailblazing compatriots Amorphis. If there is any sign of black metal songwriting to be found here, it's in the majestic symphonic backdrops draped all over the ever more ambitious offerings that follow: "Sleeping Stars" flirts with doom via its slow-creeping riffs, "Death and the Healing" alternates clean and rough vocals with a jaw-dropping display of pyrotechnic ...
| | Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Game & Guitar Controller Bundle) XBox 360 1-2 Players
Karelian Isthmus CD music
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Guitar Hero: Aerosmith puts players in the shoes of Perry (guitar), Whitford (guitar) and Hamilton (bass)as they rock out alongside frontman Tyler and drummer Kramer. Gamers experience Aerosmith's legendary career, from their first gig to becoming rock royalty.
As players progress through the game, they can rock out to scores of Aerosmith's greatest hits, as well ...
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