Apoch's Metal Review - Amorphis: Black Winter Day CD Review

Discography	Discography covers all information available up to day of review and is updated if future albums are reviewed.
Full-Length(s):	The Karelian Isthmus (1992) • Tales from the Thousand Lakes (1994) • Elegy (1996) • Tuonela (1999) • Am Universum (2001) Far from the Sun (2003) • Eclipse (2006) • Silent Waters (2007) • Skyforger (2009) • The Beginning of Times (2011)
EP(s):	Privilege of Evil (1993) • Black Winter Day (1995) • My Kantele (1997)
Split(s):	Black Winter Day/Fear (1995) • Relapse Singles Series Vol. 4 (2004) Martyr of the Free World/From the Heaven of My Heart (2009)
CD Single(s):	Amorphis (1992) • Divinity (1999) • Alone (2001) • Day of Your Beliefs (2003) • Evil Inside (2003) • House of Sleep (2006) Silent Waters (2007) • Silver Bride (2009) • From the Heaven of My Heart (2009) • You I Need (2011)
Demo(s):	Disment of Soul (1991)
Compilation(s):	Story: 10th Anniversary (2000) • Chapters (2003) • Magic & Mayhem: Tales from the Early Years (2010)
DVD(s):	Forging the Land of Thousand Lakes (2010)

Review

"Black Winter Day" is the lead single off the widely successful Amorphis album Tales From The Thousand Lakes. The track, which had a music video produced for it as well, was also turned into a four track EP by the same name, Black Winter Day. That is what we have here. This release features the single, as well as three other songs that were not made available at the time that seem to flow in a sort of conceptual manner.

"Black Winter Day" itself is a well done mixture of doom and death metal, but it's the other tracks on here that seem a little odd. "Folk Of The North" is simply an instrumental, but is well done, and it seems to bleed into "Moon And Sun", which, apparently has a sequel with "Moon And Sun Pt II: North's Son". Now, "Moon And Sun" is a good song, but the guitar work may become a little annoying after a while, but "Moon And Sun Pt II: North's Son" is a rather impressive track, including some haunting keyboards in the background, and guitar work reminiscent to it's predecessor, just not quite as aggrivating on repeat listens. That could very well be due to the fact that the guitars work well with the keyboards that seem to randomly pop up throughout the song until the little solo at the end, and the heavier moments make up for the off-sounding stand out guitar moments of "Moon And Sun".

While this isn't a necessary release, the music on the then unavailable tracks isn't half bad. "Moon And Sun" may become a little irritating, or boring, after repeat listens, and the production on it is pretty good. If you enjoyed the full length Tales From The Thousand Lakes, then the accompanying Black Winter Day release is worth looking into.

Physical review copy of this release provided by:
Personal funds.

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