Amoral (band)
Encyclopedia
Amoral is a metal band from Helsinki
, Finland
. At their first three full-lengths they played progressive technical death metal
and melodic death metal
styled music. The band's 4th album was an about-turn, replacing the dominance of quirky death metal with an exemplary display of riff-driven, heavy, yet melodic power groove and the occasional sing-along chorus, thus owing in equal measures to the likes of Skid Row and Pantera. Amoral has performed extensively in bars, clubs, festivals and other venues in Finland, Europe, and Japan. Amoral is releasing Beneath in the US via The End Records
in February 2012.
on bass. For some time before Sorvali joined Amoral, the band was without bass player, and Ots played bass on some of their demos. Amoral released two demos, Desolation and Other Flesh, with varying line-ups, and played some minor gigs before releasing their first full-length album.
, a major Finnish rock and heavy metal record label with whom they re-released Wound Creations and added a bonus track ("Metamorphosis" from an early demo) to mark the new release version. The album has received predominantly positive reviews from metal magazine
s and webzines around Finland and Europe, and Amoral played numerous gigs following the release and thenceforth Their rise from the underground metal scene was further marked by a month-long European tour with renowned metal bands Finntroll
and Naglfar
, and their inclusion in Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
2005, Finland's most important heavy metal festival.
. The album was released in Finland and several other countries in October 2005 and in Japan and the United States in March 2006. A music video has been shot for the song "Lacrimal Gland." The band embarked on a second European tour in the spring of 2006. The 37-date tour was headlined by Dark Funeral
and Naglfar
, and supported by Amoral, Endstille
, and Asmodeus
. Amoral has since played a showcase gig in Japan and a mini-tour in Italy.
in early 2007, and it was released in August 2007. A video was shot for the opening track and first and only single of the album, "Leave Your Dead Behind."
, was released May 6, 2009.
12 January 2010 the band announced that Amoral and Silver Ots had parted ways. Valtteri Hirvonen, who already played at the European tour 2009 replacing Silver, was announced to be the "permanent stand-in guitarist" for the time being. In January 2011 Amoral announced it´s new guitarist Masi Hukari.
Amoral has completed work on its fifth studio album. Beneath was recorded at Sound Supreme studios in Hämeenlinna
and was produced by Janne Saksa and guitarist Ben Varon. The CD will be released 26th October 2011. The Japan edition will be out 19th October. The first single "Same Difference" was released at the beginning of summer.. The second single "Silhouette" was played first time on Radio Rock (FI) 3rd October and was followed by a video. Silhouette has both electric and acoustic versions, from which the acoustic one is the original.
Beneath will be released in the US via The End Records
on February 14th 2012.
Singles
Demos
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. At their first three full-lengths they played progressive technical death metal
Technical death metal
Technical death metal is a musical subgenre of death metal that focuses on complex rhythms, riffs and song structures. Technical experimentation in death metal began in the late '80s and early '90s by bands such as Death, Atheist and Cynic...
and melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
styled music. The band's 4th album was an about-turn, replacing the dominance of quirky death metal with an exemplary display of riff-driven, heavy, yet melodic power groove and the occasional sing-along chorus, thus owing in equal measures to the likes of Skid Row and Pantera. Amoral has performed extensively in bars, clubs, festivals and other venues in Finland, Europe, and Japan. Amoral is releasing Beneath in the US via The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
in February 2012.
Early times
Amoral was formed in 2000 by Varon, Karlsson, and Ots; their first vocalist was Matti Pitkänen, who was quickly replaced by Niko Kalliojärvi. Former band members also include Ville Sorvali from MoonsorrowMoonsorrow
Moonsorrow is a pagan metal band formed in Helsinki, Finland, in 1995. Musically, the band incorporates elements of black metal and folk metal in their sound...
on bass. For some time before Sorvali joined Amoral, the band was without bass player, and Ots played bass on some of their demos. Amoral released two demos, Desolation and Other Flesh, with varying line-ups, and played some minor gigs before releasing their first full-length album.
Wound Creations
Amoral signed with Rage of Achilles Records and released their first album, Wound Creations, in 2004. After the bankruptcy of Rage of Achilles Amoral was picked up by Spikefarm, a division of Spinefarm RecordsSpinefarm Records
Spinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent...
, a major Finnish rock and heavy metal record label with whom they re-released Wound Creations and added a bonus track ("Metamorphosis" from an early demo) to mark the new release version. The album has received predominantly positive reviews from metal magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
s and webzines around Finland and Europe, and Amoral played numerous gigs following the release and thenceforth Their rise from the underground metal scene was further marked by a month-long European tour with renowned metal bands Finntroll
Finntroll
Finntroll is a folk metal band from Helsinki, Finland. They combine elements of black metal and folk metal. Finntroll's lyrics are mostly in Swedish, the only exception being the song "Madon Laulu" on Visor Om Slutet...
and Naglfar
Naglfar (band)
Naglfar is a Swedish melodic black metal band formed in 1992. The group was formed by Jens Rydén and Kristoffer Olivius, originally under the name Uninterred.-Biography:...
, and their inclusion in Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, shortly Tuska , is the largest music festival dedicated only to metal and related styles of music in the Nordic countries. The history of Tuska began in 1998 and it has grown larger every year. The location of the festival has been in Kaisaniemi park in the middle of...
2005, Finland's most important heavy metal festival.
Decrowning
Soon after the 2005 European tour, Amoral returned to the studio to record their second album, DecrowningDecrowning
- Personnel :Amoral* Niko Kalliojärvi - vocals* Ben Varon – guitar* Silver Ots – guitar* Erkki Silvennoinen – bass* Juhana Karlsson – drumsAdditional* Ari Perkele – support lyrics* Sami Helle – support lyrics...
. The album was released in Finland and several other countries in October 2005 and in Japan and the United States in March 2006. A music video has been shot for the song "Lacrimal Gland." The band embarked on a second European tour in the spring of 2006. The 37-date tour was headlined by Dark Funeral
Dark Funeral
Dark Funeral is a black metal band from Stockholm, Sweden, founded by guitarists Blackmoon and Lord Ahriman in 1993. They are one of the bands to have emerged in Sweden during the Second wave of black metal....
and Naglfar
Naglfar (band)
Naglfar is a Swedish melodic black metal band formed in 1992. The group was formed by Jens Rydén and Kristoffer Olivius, originally under the name Uninterred.-Biography:...
, and supported by Amoral, Endstille
Endstille
Endstille is a black metal band from Germany. It was founded in 2000 by L. Wachtfels , Mayhemic Destructor , Iblis and Cruor in Kiel. L. Wachtfels and Mayhemic Destructor had previously played in the band Tauthr, while Iblis and Cruor came from the band Octoria...
, and Asmodeus
Asmodeus (band)
Asmodeus is an Austrian black metal band founded in 1996.- Biography :Tyr and Desdemon began the band as a project called Diabolus. After the first permanent line up was assembled, the name was changed to Asmodeus....
. Amoral has since played a showcase gig in Japan and a mini-tour in Italy.
Reptile Ride
Amoral's third album was first announced on their website in early July 2006. The album was recorded in Studio Sound Supreme in HämeenlinnaHämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
in early 2007, and it was released in August 2007. A video was shot for the opening track and first and only single of the album, "Leave Your Dead Behind."
Show Your Colors
Amoral's fourth studio album was announced in November 2008 when the band announced Ari Koivunen as their new front man. On January 21, their first single was put up the band's MySpace account. The first single is entitled Year of the Suckerpunch and the song is clearly distinctive from any of Amoral's previous material, and is built around Ari's higher pitched, clean, melodic voice, as opposed to former vocalist Niko Kalliojärvi's growling death metal vocals. The album, Show Your ColorsShow Your Colors
-Personnel:Amoral* Ari Koivunen - vocals, backing vocals* Ben Varon - guitar* Silver Ots - guitar* Juhana Karlsson - drums* Pekka Johansson - bassAdditional* Janne Saksa - recording, producing, backing vocals* Svante Forsbäck- mastering...
, was released May 6, 2009.
12 January 2010 the band announced that Amoral and Silver Ots had parted ways. Valtteri Hirvonen, who already played at the European tour 2009 replacing Silver, was announced to be the "permanent stand-in guitarist" for the time being. In January 2011 Amoral announced it´s new guitarist Masi Hukari.
Beneath
2010 Amoral worked with it´s 5th album and is recording it 2011. Studio blog is online.Amoral has completed work on its fifth studio album. Beneath was recorded at Sound Supreme studios in Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
and was produced by Janne Saksa and guitarist Ben Varon. The CD will be released 26th October 2011. The Japan edition will be out 19th October. The first single "Same Difference" was released at the beginning of summer.. The second single "Silhouette" was played first time on Radio Rock (FI) 3rd October and was followed by a video. Silhouette has both electric and acoustic versions, from which the acoustic one is the original.
Beneath will be released in the US via The End Records
The End Records
The End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
on February 14th 2012.
Current members
- Ari KoivunenAri KoivunenAri Koivunen is a Finnish heavy metal singer who rose to fame as the winner of the Finnish singing competition Idols in 2007. He has since gone on to become one of Finland's most popular and best-selling recording artists...
- vocals - Ben Varon - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- Masi Hukari - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
- Juhana Karlsson - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Pekka Johansson - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Former members
- Silver Ots - guitar, bass
- Niko Kalliojärvi - vocals
- Erkki Silvennoinen - bass
- Matti Pitkänen - vocals
- Ville Sorvali - bass
Discography
Studio albums- Wound Creations (2004), Spikefarm
- DecrowningDecrowning- Personnel :Amoral* Niko Kalliojärvi - vocals* Ben Varon – guitar* Silver Ots – guitar* Erkki Silvennoinen – bass* Juhana Karlsson – drumsAdditional* Ari Perkele – support lyrics* Sami Helle – support lyrics...
(2005), Spikefarm - Reptile Ride (2007), Spikefarm
- Show Your ColorsShow Your Colors-Personnel:Amoral* Ari Koivunen - vocals, backing vocals* Ben Varon - guitar* Silver Ots - guitar* Juhana Karlsson - drums* Pekka Johansson - bassAdditional* Janne Saksa - recording, producing, backing vocals* Svante Forsbäck- mastering...
(2009), SpinefarmSpinefarm RecordsSpinefarm Records is a Finland-based record label focusing mainly on heavy metal artists. In 1999, a sub-label titled Spikefarm Records was started by Sami Tenetz from Thy Serpent... - BeneathBeneath (album)Beneath is the fifth album by Finnish band Amoral. The American release date is 2/14/12 but can be preordered with m4a files instantly available.-Track listing:...
(2011), Imperial Cassette - BeneathBeneathBeneath is a thriller-horror film co-produced in a first time partnership between Paramount Classics and MTV Films...
(US) (2012), The End RecordsThe End RecordsThe End Records is an independent record label, founded in 1998 in San Diego. Founder Andreas Katsambas initially wanted to bring attention to some underground bands he admired. In 2002, The End moved to Salt Lake City, when his wife took a job at the University of Utah. The label moved...
Singles
- Leave Your Dead Behind (2007)
- Year of the Suckerpunch (2009)
- Gave Up Easy (2009)
- Same DifferenceSame DifferenceSame Difference can refer to:* Same Difference, a British singing duo* Same Difference , an album by Swedish death metal band Entombed* Same Difference , a show which aired on Channel 4...
(2011) - SilhouetteSilhouetteA silhouette is the image of a person, an object or scene consisting of the outline and a basically featureless interior, with the silhouetted object usually being black. Although the art form has been popular since the mid-18th century, the term “silhouette” was seldom used until the early decades...
(2011)
Demos
- Desolation (2001)
- Demo II (2002)
- Other Flesh (2002)