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"Silent Waters" is near flawless combination of everything that Amorphis has done in the past. Heavier tracks such as “A Servant” and “Towards and Against” strongly recall the "Tales from the Thousand Lakes" album, featuring riffs that are both melodic and heavy along with a big dose of death vocals. These are balanced by cleaner tracks such as “Her Alone” and “Enigma,” devoid of death metal elements, and showcasing some of the bands folk influence. The bulk of "Silent Waters" falls in between these two extremes, but all of these diverse elements are used to good effect throughout the album.
The production has a warm and organic feel, allowing all of the instruments to be heard without over powering each other. Overall this is a great album that successfully melds many different ideas into a cohesive package. "Eclipse" hinted at this, but "Silent Waters" is a more confident and balanced sounding album. You can tell that the band has hit their stride with the new line up. Tomi Jutsen seems to be a perfect fit for Amorphis, his death vocals are powerful and convincing and his clean voice is a strong mid range that fits the bands style like a glove.
Amorphis are a band who are aptly named, ever changing and difficult to categorize. After years of change and experimentation the band appears to be settling in to a groove, finding ways to blend styles within albums rather than changing from album to album. "Silent Waters" is a great album full of powerful and interesting songs. A job well done.
Rating: 89
Reviewed By: Garett F.