Amorphis "Skyforger (Digipak, Germany, Nuclear Blast, NB 2304-0/27361 23040)"

Skyforger is the ninth studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis. Like the previous album, the lyrics to Skyforger are English translations of Finnish poems based on the Kalevala and written by Pekka Kainulainen. Unlike the two previous albums, it is based on different parts of several episodes, but all told from a single character's point of view. In this sense it is a return to Tales from the Thousand Lakes which told stories from different parts of the Kalevala. The last two albums focused on Kullervo and Lemminkäinen, respectively, and this one focuses on Ilmarinen.

Like Amorphis's previous two albums, Eclipse and Silent Waters, Skyforger is a concept album and was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki.

In addition to a regular edition, the album was also released in a limited digipak edition which included the bonus track "Godlike Machine". Initially, this digipak edition caused controversy because of sound level fluctuations during the tracks "My Sun" and "Skyforger", but Nuclear Blast has since remedied the problem by promising replacement CDs.

On April 22, 2009, "Silver Bride" was released as a Finland-only single, peaking at number 1. The music video for the single premiered on May 11, 2009.

The album's sound has been described as melodic death metal with influences from progressive metal, power metal and folk metal.

A partly animated video was made for "Silver Bride". There's also a video for "From the Heaven of My Heart" containing a mix of live and backstage footage.

Track listing

All lyrics by Pekka Kainulainen. All music as noted.

1. "Sampo" Kallio 6:08
2. "Silver Bride" Holopainen 4:13
3. "From the Heaven of My Heart" Kallio 5:20
4. "Sky Is Mine" Kallio 4:20
5. "Majestic Beast" Holopainen 4:19
6. "My Sun" Koivusaari 4:04
7. "Highest Star" Holopainen 4:44
8. "Skyforger" Holopainen 5:15
9. "Course of Fate" Kallio 4:15
10. "From Earth I Rose" Joutsen 5:04
11. "Godlike Machine" Koivusaari 5:18

Total time:  53:00

The first digipak pressing contains sound level errors from mixing in tracks 6 and 8. Nuclear Blast released correct version of those tracks on their website as a temporary solution before a corrected pressing can be produced.

Recording information:

Recorded at Sonic Pump Studios, Helsinki, between November 2008 - January 2009.

Mixed at Finnvox Studios, between January - February 2009.

Mastered at Finnvox Studios, February 2009.