Review by Stellarium on April 21, 2024.

Usually when a band changes their style and sound from one extreme to another, a few guarantees will take place. The first of which is that the majority of the existing fanbase will complain, cry, object, and show general benevolence towards the new direction of said band. The second of these certainties is that the inability of these people to let things go will prevail, decades into the future with a "this band haven't been metal since 1994!" bemoan, usually void of context and without anyone stating otherwise.

There is a lesser third as well - that the majority of fans come around to supporting the decision eventually, and the band also continues down the new route having made a wise decision to play to their strengths. This is the bosom in which Amorphis comfortably nestle, a surprise to no one that's followed their trajectory thus far; in which three albums are performed in differing metal styles - alluding to the true amorphousness that the band name devotes itself to.

The growls are almost all removed, giving Pasi a chance to showcase a more progressive, hard rock / soft metal clean technique. The melodic death tropes are streamlined to something allowing for more technical and varied compositions, unclipping the wings that prevented the group from forging their own inspirations into a varied collection of songs that can embody a much wider spectrum of metal and rock.

Knowing their audience and transformation, the album opens with "Better Unborn" - a heavier number which slowly dials down the material, allowing listeners already accustomed to be slowly eased in to the style change - an intelligent, self-aware decision which many bands sadly lack in present day 2024. This track opens with a bass guitar and sitar harmonizing together, while the drums slowly bring the track to life. A catchy riff initiates the main body of the song, and Pasi performs a growling technique to further cement a bridge that seamlessly links both and old. The chorus segues into a clean vocal, which is delivered absolutely finely. It is my opinion that Pasi has a better clean vocal than a harsh (although experiences with both "Far From the Sun" and later black metal project "Ajattara" may be considered exclusions to this rule).

"Elegy" is a bit of a headache to deep dive into, as the tracks can either be consider among the finest the band ever wrote, or just good, approaching great. "Better Unborn" and "Against Widows" remain favourites in the bands live sets to this very day; remaining the oldest constant songs in heavy rotation. Sure, they occasionally perform tracks from "Karelian Isthmus" and the very archaic "Disment of Soul" demo with airings of the track "Vulgar Necrolatry", written when certain members were in Abhorrence and carried over to the rich Amorphis catalogue, but I digress.

With these two tracks aside, this album holds two more keys to truly unlocking and understanding the Amorphis experience. The most important of which is the absolutely timeless "My Kantele". For many, this is the bands signature song, and it's exceptionally easy to see why. Citing Wikipedia, the song is a traditional Finnish song from the 1840 collection Kanteletar, sung by Loituma. The tale talks about the mythical history of the Kantele - the stringed national instrument of Finland. There is also an acoustic version of the track which is absolutely stunning to behold - Pasi's growled verses tempered down to something more becoming of the gentle sound of the instrument. The main motif of the song is well known for it's unusual progression and signature, and the acoustic version gives more life to this.

The other track that is well worth talking about is the heavier "Cares" - a faster paced banger that could have fit in on the earlier albums. There is also a middle eight section that is quite bouncy and adds an Eastern folky sound to the song. I defy anyone to not smile and tap their feet at this bit! As an added measure, the song also has a section that almost goes into Techno territory, before weaving in an excellent guitar solo.

"Elegy" marks a period of great change, within a period of great change. It's the second "era" of the band, and the only album in this era, as immediately after this, they jump into a softer, even more progressive direction, which lasted until Pasi departed in 2004. As an anomaly in the bands catalogue, one could fully expect, as I did, for this to be an outlier in the discography. I was surprised on revision to find that this ranks quite comfortably within the top albums that Amorphis produced.

The Summary

Amorphis switched from a melodic death style to a progressive metal approach on this record, surprising most everyone with a tantalizingly deep collection of hymns and hooks from both inside and outside of their native Finland. "Elegy" succeeds where many bands fail, in that it is able to play to its strength and read the collective audience correctly to fuse and deliver a well-melded and deeply detailed genre shift. Three of the songs on this record remain live favourites, almost thirty years later, long after the band parted way with Pasi and moved on from this period and sound. The clever nod to Finnish history and mini-lesson found within the hallowed sounds of "My Kantele" is an all-time top Amorphis moment. "Elegy" is simply an experience you need to take in actively, and is far from well served just being listened to as a background album.

Sell me this Album

I don't think anyone that has any passion for metal can pick this up and not appreciate some of the songs on it. For the heavier, more extreme minded, "Cares", "Better Unborn" and "Against Widows" carry enough of the bands earlier techniques to not cut off the cord entirely. For those that don't mind a bit of lore of folk influence, "My Kantele" is a flawless pick that is probably one of the best songs of its kind in any genre.

For those of you that like metal in general, or especially those that like progressive metal, this album is not just a must-hear, but it is a must-own, and easily remains the most ambitious experiment that Amorphis ever attempted, and to the most highest standards of success.

Rating: 8.9 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 3, 2016.

Amorphis bring together a transition album with Elegy. It has elements of death metal of yesteryear, but also an expansion towards a progressive sound that would later dominate the band’s career.

The songs are energetic and full of life. Each song has a main sound that sparks up the overall presence of the album. The passion seeps into the songs as they stick out and make an impact on the listener. Songs like the title track, Weeper on the Shore and My Kantele are incredibly memorable. Not only are the harsh sections done well, but the more psychadelic and atmospheric soft ones are also done with the highest level of style. The contrast is indeed similar to what Opeth applied, but is done to an extent even greater than the best of what that band has to offer. While measuring the consistency of the band compared to Opeth’s early material is a different story, the mixture of sounds found on this album in particular is unbeatable. There is simply a stunning ability to combine different sounds in a dynamic and exciting manner. The band has since taken the cleaner portions of their style into prominence and has thus not had the stunning combination found here repeated. Some of the portions of the title track in particular stick into the memory banks long after listening to the album. However, many moments are memorable on this album. There are more portions that stand out here than on any other Amorphis album. In fact, if an investigations of albums from the nineteen nineties takes place, we can see this album high on the list. Its constantly shifting and changing style was a peak in the band’s progression and never has been matched since.

So, when searching for a classic album to satisfy your interests, always return to which ones were the most interesting and Elegy is certainly one of the most satisfyingly original albums of a particular time period. This album is simply classic material.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Luka on May 13, 2001.

The band that keeps evolving. Amorphis, the "ever-changing", shed the skin of their stagnant death metal past and rise majestically to explore the lighter side of metal and even embrace some aspects of their traditional Finnish folk.

Well, the tie to death metal wasn’t completely severed. They did hire the new clear vocalist, Pasi Koskinen, but the original growl of Tomi Koivusaari still dominates as much as half of the record. The music is completely different though, and definitely remains the main aspect of "Elegy", as the lyrics are usually short and all taken from the "Kanteletar" a collection of ancient Finnish poems and ballads, so you know there’ll be no singing about death and destruction from this metal band. Some of the mellow lyrics are so misplaced with the heavy music that it’s sometimes downright funny. The E chords are pounding and the guy is growling his guts out and he’s singing "A widow has had her games and spent a merry evening". Haha! I still somehow like it more than all the generic death metal bands singing about nothing but fucking corpses and death.

Okay, so here’s how almost each majestic song from "Elegy" goes. Starts off with nice melody, does the normal verse-chorus-interlude business before getting to the point where it simply enchants you. At about 3 to 4 minutes into the song, Amorphis choose a really sweet melody and keep repeating it in different keys for minutes. The amazing thing is that it never even comes close to being boring, quite opposite, you find yourself totally captivated by that one simple melody and it’s so catchy and sweet that you never want it to end, and it doesn’t, for a while at least, and sometimes some vocals are added. The song ends in one last majestic repeat where all the instruments seem to come together in a godly conclusion. You’re left starving for more. This is most apparent in "The Orphan", "Song of the Troubled One" and "Weeper on the Shore". Although "Elegy" still remains my favorite.
The solos are executed beautifully and each one fits its song perfectly. All the instruments blend, every musician shines through, these guys really know how to do their thing. "Elegy" is an amazing record musically, but has some faults lyrically.

Bottom Line: Absolutely amazing music, the melodies will be stuck in your head for days. And the funny lyrics might be too.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Review by Nick on July 6, 2008.

It’s apparent within the first 20 seconds of the opening track that Awaiting Evil is an anachronism: raw, ferocious, minimally produced thrash metal from the Bay area in 2008? That’s the equivalent of running down the street listening to an iPod and being hit by a DeLorean. It’s just plain rare.

Once the acoustic intro, Darkening Skies, drifts into the sunset over San Francisco Bay, Frailty Of The Flesh cracks the foundation open like a quake ripping through the streets. The song is immediately reminiscent of Kill ‘Em All-era Metallica, mixed with some Slayer and Exodus. In fact, reach your hand into the proverbial grab-bag of 80’s era thrash and you would pull out some applicable influences.

Sealed Fate is another no-frills slab of thrash. The guitar riffs pummel and spurts of schizophrenic lead melodies overlay this pile of smoking metal. The vocals are primordial and appropriately raw. Frozen Hell, despite its horrific title, is a track that makes the undisputed case that Hatchet is for real, not just a cover band-turned original act. Frozen Hell churns like acid-laced bile and captivates throughout its 4:24 running length. In an era where metal is increasingly progressive and epic, Hatchet demonstrates that less can be more, and simplicity is the new complex.

The fifth and sixth cuts, Attack Imminent and The Morlocks Tomb, are both slightly more intense than the previous tracks, reminding me more of Slayer’s Hell Awaits than Metallica or Exodus. On both tracks, the tempo has been injected with a stimulant and the riffing is more aggressive. On Attack Imminent, there is a sense of chaotic urgency, which makes the song quite cacophonous. I obviously want to give Hatchet credit for being their own band in a time when such music is mostly absent, but the downside to re-creating a successful era is to constantly compare. But such comparison is more complimentary than anything.

Storm The Gates begins with a riff that comes across as a bit recycled. While I appreciate the continued effort of re-energizing a genre that has been widely laid to rest, this track misses the mark. There are a few sporadic highlights within the song, but the track fails, as a whole.

The eighth song, The Dead Will March, sounds eerily like a B-side from Slayer’s Seasons In The Abyss. There is a paranoid feeling throughout the track, which adds a darkened layer. The guitars are ferocious and constantly evolve from riff to riff without hesitation. Again, the vocals are spewed venomously, with no regard for melody or harmony.

The album ends with the title track, Awaiting Evil. In true thrash form, the title track captures the epic glory. Awaiting Evil is…well, evil. Hatchet holds nothing back on this ending track. Marcus Kirchen’s vocals mirror everything from King Diamond to a young Tom Araya. The guitars are absolutely punishing. Period.

Hatchet’s Awaiting Evil is a welcome exception to the typical new millennium’s selection of metal. While there is clearly a lot of amazing metal being released in 2008, it’s fun to watch the genre come full circle. What was inspired and built upon in the late 80s has found its way back to the place of its birth. Awaiting Evil is concise, angry and simple. It’s metal the way metal was when rock gave birth to it and named it.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Originality: 8
Production: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.8 out of 10