Far from the Sun

Far from the Sun
Amorphis studio album
Publication (s)	May 26, 2003
Label (s)	Virgin Records
Format (s)	CD
Genre (s)	Metal
Title (number)	10 (US version: 15)
running time	43 min 48 s (US version: 64 min 43 s)
occupation	Guitar : Tomi Koivusaari Guitar: Esa Holopainen Drums : Jan Rechberger Electric bass : Niclas Etelävuori Keyboard : Santeri Kallio Singing : Pasi Koskinen
production	Production : Amorphis Mastering : Thomas Eberger Mix : Hiili Hiilesmaa Singing : John McGregor Recordings : Hannu Leiden, Juha Laakso, Nikk Bingo, Sande Kallio
chronology At the Universe (2001) Far from the Sun Eclipse (2006)

Far from the Sun is the sixth studio album by the Finnish metal band Amorphis . It was released on Virgin Records in May 2003 . Far from the Sun was the last Amorphis album with singer Pasi Koskinen .

Creation and publication

Before the recording of Far from the Sun , the drummer Pekka Kasari Amorphis and was replaced by Jan Rechberger, who was Amorphis drummer from 1990 to 1996. The contract with Relapse Records had expired after the last album Am Universum . Amorphis did not sign a new record deal before producing Far from the Sun , they wanted to record the album without outside influences. Pasi Koskinen described the recording afterwards as “very relaxed work, we weren't under time pressure, we recorded guitars and keyboards in our own studio - nobody rushes. We had all the time we needed. ”( Pasi Koskinen in an interview ) Only after the recordings did the band sign a contract with the major label Virgin Records .

Far from the Sun was released in Europe on May 26, 2003. The single Day of Your Beliefs was released in early May, followed by the second single Evil Inside on July 10, 2003 . In the United States, the album was only released on September 7, 2004, over a year later. This edition was delivered in a cardboard slipcase with embossing and contained five bonus tracks , the first three of which were already published on the singles as B-sides .

Track list

1. Day of Your Beliefs - 5:04
2. Planetary Misfortune - 4:27
3. Evil Inside - 3:57
4. Mourning Soil - 3:47
5. Far from the Sun - 4:00
6. Ethereal Solitude - 4:30
7. Killing Goodness - 3:55
8. God of Deception - 3:38
9. Higher Ground - 5:39
10. Smithereens - 4:51
11. Shining Turns to Gray (bonus track) - 2:58
12. Follow Me into the Fire (bonus track) - 5:26
13. Darkrooms (bonus track) - 3:23
14. Dreams of the Damned (bonus track) - 4:48
15. Far from the Sun (extended) (bonus track) - 4:20

style

music

Far from the Sun is much more straightforward and metal-heavy after Am Universum , the band also forego the saxophone.

The psychedelic atmosphere comes to the fore , which is caused by numerous borrowings from the psychedelic rock of the 70s: the band uses synthesizers , Hammond organ , sitar and, in addition to distortion , numerous other guitar effects (e.g. phaser and delay ). In contrast to the previous album, the melody is based more on traditional Finnish folk .

The song Planetary Misfortune is a remake of Too Much to See . This was released in 2001 as the B-side of the single Alone and as a bonus track of the previous album Am Universum . In the new version, melody lines and themes have been retained, but the arrangements have been changed and a new text has been adapted.

Texts and covers

The CD cover of Far from the Sun shows the Thorshammer similar Ukonvasara (dt .: hammer or ax of Ukko ) stylized on a red background. Pasi Koskinen said of this unusually simple cover, which is in clear contrast to the organic artwork by Tuonela and Am Universum : "The simple cover should draw attention to the music." ( Pasi Koskinen in an interview ) The hammer should also be a reference to represent the early past of the band and was already on the cover of Tales from the Thousand Lakes .

As on the previous album Am Universum, the lyrics have no relation to Finnish mythology.

Successes and criticism

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

Far from the Sun   FI 7th 22/2003 (4 weeks)

Singles

Day of Your Beliefs   FI 3 19/2003 (6 weeks) Evil Inside   FI 20th 28/2003 (1 week)

Far from the Sun entered the Finnish album charts at number 7 and was therefore less successful than its predecessor Am Universum . The singles also achieved poorer top placements than Alone in 2001 , with 3rd and 20th place .

The All Music Guide criticizes that Far from the Sun would offer little new. Wade Kergan writes for the well-known music website:

“Far From the Sun, as well-executed and crafted as it may be, is another step toward a familiar middle. Any further from the sun and Amorphis are likely to wither and fade away. "

“Far from the Sun, as well executed and crafted as it is, is another step towards a familiar center. A little further from the sun, and Amorphis will likely shrink and fade. "

- Wade Kergan for the All Music Guide in the review of Far from the Sun

In his review of the successor Eclipse, Frank Albrecht from the German magazine Rock Hard called the album retrospectively “really nice, but more of a chill-out album that you put on to sleep peacefully after an intoxicated night."

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Andrea Veyhle: The devil is always behind you and looks over your shoulder on Vampster.com, May 26, 2003 (German, accessed June 10, 2007)
2. ↑ Far from the Sun at Amazon.com (accessed June 19, 2007)
3. ↑ Luxi Lahtinen: Review Far from the Sun on Metal-Rules.com, July 2003 (English, accessed June 17, 2007)
4. ^ Dw Dunphy: Far from the Sun on Musictap.com, June 19, 2003 (accessed June 17, 2007)
5. ↑ Charts FI
6. ↑ Wade Kergan: Far from the Sun> Review in the All Music Guide (accessed August 9, 2007)
7. ↑ Review in Rock Hard No. 226 (German, accessed on August 18, 2007)