Eclipse, the first Amorphis album featuring Tomi Joutsen behind the mic, and a crucial one for their history got released back in 2006. After left stranded on the shores of Am Universum and Far From the Sun, the band needed a change. They lost their unique sound, with just bits left from the golden era of Elegy; the bits containing unique Finnish folk melodies and not much more. The band lost a big chunk of their fan base, and unless something drastic happened, the group would probably end their journey.
And something drastic indeed took place; long time vocalist Pasi Koskinen left the band, and instead of writing songs themselves, they used the formula already proven on Tales From The Thousand Lakes and Elegy. Taking one story of the epic Kalevala (Kullervo's Story) and turning it into a concept album, proved an excellent choice. In addition, Joutsen urged the band to bring back harsh vocals, so Eclipse saw the return of aggressive elements, ultimately bringing back the mix of melodic guitars, folk melodies and a mix of clean and harsh vocals; a sound still defining the band.
The product was one hell of an album. From the opener, Two Moons with its magnificent lead riff and melodic parts, through heart wrecking House of Sleep, all the way down to the closer Empty Opening, Amorphis showed the world that they are back, stronger than ever. Tomi’s vocals perfectly matched the music; incredible guitar work was light years away from the one found on Far From the Sun; a combination of melodic passages crisscrossed with heavy riffs and Tomi’s flawless blend of heavenly cleans and hellish growls made many fans return under their cloud. Keyboards weren’t prominent but gave the music a touch of emotion, a note of crumbling permanency which rounded up Eclipse seamlessly.
The melodic intro followed by pungent growls found on Leaves Scar, a charmingly hypnotic lead riff of Born from Fire (not to mention the lead on Brother Moon), piano passages intertwined with electric guitars on The Smoke, were all reasons why Eclipse was, and still is, one of the strongest comeback albums ever. Since Eclipse, Amorphis became one of the leading names in metal, creating one masterpiece after another. And while it can be said that Silent Waters, or Under The Red Cloud are better records, Eclipse sure is more famous. One interesting fact for the end – up until The Eclipse, Amorphis haven’t recorded two albums with the same lineup; since The Eclipse, they haven’t changed a single member.
