Since the early 90s Finland’s Amorphis have been a cornerstone of the metal scene. Like clockwork they consistently release an album every two years. Blending melancholy melodic riffs with diverse vocals the catalog is stunning. Back with their twelfth release Under the Red Cloud, can it live up to the standard they have set throughout their career? Combining elements of folk and classical seamlessly with timeless metal tendencies they have released some of the greatest metal albums to ever grace the genre. Vocalist Tomi Joutsen has now fronted the band for ten years and remarkably this is his sixth album with Amorphis. Each release with Joutsen finds the band more comfortable and improved upon. Slowly they have been working death metal growls back into their sound and on Under the Red Cloud they represent about half of his melodies. His guttural tone is extremely accessible and clear. It mixes seamlessly with his powerful melodic vocals, which also have improved over time. Tracks like “The Skull” and “The Four Wise Ones” showcase his growth as a vocalist and capture the essence of his aggressive vocals perfectly. Amorphis adds some appealing progressive passages into their material that show off their incredible musicianship. “Death of A King,” “Enemy At the Gates” and the title track all feature incredible musical interludes and harmonious passages. The interplay between Holopainen and keyboardist Santeri Kallio is brilliant with their use of Phrygian modes. Overall Under the Red Cloud is the strongest release with Joutsen and is on par with some of their best releases. Its strength lies in the fact that it is as strong in the second half as it is up front. Amorphis has a talent of making a song not overstay its welcome despite breaking the five-minute mark. Amorphis continually pave a unique sound of their own and show why they are one of the premier bands in music today. Under the Red Cloud adds to an already impressive catalog and should be in heavy consideration for album of the year.