Amorphis "Tales From The Thousand Lakes (Picture Disc, USA, Relapse Records, RR 6901-2)"

Tales from the Thousand Lakes is the second studio album by Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis. It is a concept album based on the Finnish national epic, Kalevala.

The album was an influential release in the development of the melodic death metal genre, predominantly mixing the genre with death-doom and gothic metal, compared to the band's death metal debut. This showcases a more melodic sound for the band, with hints at their later, more progressive direction. The album also introduced synthesizers and clean vocals to the band's sound, though the latter was used sparingly.

This is the first Amorphis release to have an official keyboardist, Kasper Mårtenson, as any previous of the band's releases had the band's own drummer, Jan Rechberger, provide the empty keyboardist role until the band decided to have a keyboardist and also to find one being Mårtenson. With Mårtenson in the band, it is the first time the band's original lineup changed by having an additional member. Jan Rechberger would leave the band after this album but rejoin the band for 2003's Far from the Sun.

The original limited version (on digipack) had a cover of "Light My Fire" by The Doors added as a bonus track. It was later re-released in 2001 with most tracks from the Black Winter Day EP and the "Light My Fire" cover added as bonus tracks.

Track listing

1. "Thousand Lakes" (instrumental) Music: K. Mårtenson 2:04
2. "Into Hiding" Lyrics: traditional Music: E. Holopainen, O.P. Laine 3:45
3. "The Castaway" Lyrics: traditional Music: T. Koivusaari, E. Holopainen, O.P. Laine, K. Mårtenson 5:32
4. "First Doom" Lyrics: E. Holopainen Music: E. Holopainen 3:52
5. "Black Winter Day" Lyrics: traditional Music: K. Mårtenson 3:50
6. "Drowned Maid" Lyrics: traditional Music: T. Koivusaari, E. Holopainen, O.P. Laine 4:23
7. "In the Beginning" Lyrics: traditional Music: E. Holopainen, O.P. Laine 3:37
8. "Forgotten Sunrise" Lyrics: E. Holopainen Music: E. Holopainen 4:53
9. "To Fathers Cabin" Lyrics: traditional Music: E. Holopainen, O.P. Laine 3:50
10. "Magic and Mayhem" Lyrics: traditional Music: E. Holopainen 4:27

Total length: 40:13

The lyrics are mostly taken from Keith Bosley's 1989 translation of the book "Kalevala".

A music video was made for the song "Black Winter Day".

Recording information:

Recorded and mixed at Sunlight Studio, Stockholm, Sweden, September 1993.

Producer, Engineer – Amorphis, Tomas Skogsberg

Executive Producer – Matthew F. Jacobson, William J. Yurkiewicz Jr.

Translated By [Most Of Lyrics] – Keith Bosley