The Beginning of Times
| The Beginning of Times | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
_album_cover.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by Amorphis | ||||
| Released |
25 May 2011 (FI) 27 May 2011 (EU)[1] June 7, 2011 (US)[2] | |||
| Recorded | January 2011[3] | |||
| Genre | Progressive metal[4] Folk metal, Heavy Metal | |||
| Length | 54:42[5] | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Marco Hietala (vocals), Amorphis | |||
| Amorphis chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Beginning of Times | ||||
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The Beginning of Times is the tenth studio album by Finnish metal band Amorphis, released on 25 May 2011 in Finland, 27 May in Europe and June 7 in the United States. Like previous Amorphis albums, The Beginning of Times is a concept album. The central character of the songs is Väinämöinen, described by the band as "the iconic hero of Finnish mythology".[5]
Release
Singles
On 11 April 2011, Amorphis premiered the first single "You I Need" on their Facebook page.[6] It was released digitally in Finland on 20 April 2011,[7] and in other countries on 22 April 2011. Early the next month, the band released another new song, "My Enemy", again on Facebook.[8]
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [9] |
| Jukebox:Metal | [10] |
| PopMatters | [11] |
| Metal-Temple.com | [12] |
| Rockfreaks.net | [13] |
| MetalUnderground.com | [14] |
| Sea of Tranquility | [15] |
The Beginning of Times had a strong sales debut week, charting at No. 1 on the Finnish Albums Chart and No. 16 on the German Media Control Charts.[16][17]
In a professional review for PopMatters, Adrien Begrand praised the album, going so far as to say that Amorphis have never sounded better with their current line-up.[11] Amateur reviews have also been positive, with Craig Hartranft of DangerDog proclaiming "The Beginning of Times finds Amorphis in grand form, doing what they do best".[18]
Track listing
All lyrics written by Pekka Kainulainen[5].
| No. | Title | Music | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Battle for Light" | Santeri Kallio | 5:35 | |
| 2. | "Mermaid" | Kallio | 4:24 | |
| 3. | "My Enemy" | Tomi Koivusaari | 3:25 | |
| 4. | "You I Need" | Kallio | 4:22 | |
| 5. | "Song of the Sage" | Kallio | 5:27 | |
| 6. | "Three Words" | Esa Holopainen | 3:55 | |
| 7. | "Reformation" | Holopainen | 4:33 | |
| 8. | "Soothsayer" | Koivusaari | 4:09 | |
| 9. | "On a Stranded Shore" | Kallio | 4:13 | |
| 10. | "Escape" | Kallio | 3:52 | |
| 11. | "Crack in a Stone" | Holopainen | 4:56 | |
| 12. | "Beginning of Time" | Holopainen | 5:51 | |
| 13. | "Heart's Song" (Bonus track) | Holopainen | 4:07 |
Personnel
Amorphis
- Tomi Joutsen – vocals
- Esa Holopainen – guitars
- Tomi Koivusaari – guitars
- Niclas Etelävuori – bass
- Santeri Kallio – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, organ
- Jan Rechberger – drums
Session musicians
- Savotta Choir – additional male vocals
- Netta Dahlberg – additional female vocals
- Iikka Kahri – additional flute, clarinet & saxophone
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums Chart[16] | 1 |
References
- ↑ "AMORPHIS | The beginning of times – Nuclear Blast". Nuclearblast.de. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ↑ "AMORPHIS – Discography". Nuclear Blast USA. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ↑ "Blabbermouth.Net – Amorphis: New Album Update". Roadrunnerrecords.com. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ↑ http://www.onemetal.com/2012/01/16/amorphis-the-beginning-of-times/
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "New Album "The Beginning Of Times" – Amorphis". Amorphis.net. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ↑ "Listen to "You I...". Facebook. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
- ↑ "You I Need Amorphis" (in Finnish). download.mtv3.fi, Bonnier Group. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
- ↑ "Listen to "My...". Facebook. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo (2011-05-30). "The Beginning of Times – Amorphis : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ "Jukebox:Metal review". Jukeboxmetal.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Begrand, Adrien. "Amorphis: The Beginning of Times < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ "Metal Temple Review". Metal-temple.com. 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ "review". Rockfreaks.net. 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ "Metal Underground Review". Metalunderground.com. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ "Sea of Tranquility Review". Seaoftranquility.org. 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2012-09-30.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Amorphis: The Beginning Of Times" (in Finnish). ifpi.fi, Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 2011-06-02.
- ↑
- ↑ "Review : Amorphis – The Beginning of Times :: New Music Review :: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Progressive Rock :: CD Album Music Review : Craig Hartranft". Dangerdog.com. 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2012-01-15.
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