When Tomi Koivusaari and his bandmates in Amorphis started out back in 1990, forming from the ashes of death metal precursors Abhorrence and Violent Solution, it's doubtful they had any idea just how influential the group would become in the world of Finnish extreme metal. After all, the scene itself only consisted of a handful of bands who were pushing beyond the speed metal standard set by countrymen Stone, inspired by the likes of Slayer and Morbid Angel. Where Amorphis differed from bands across that northern region back then is that they incorporated their own unique tastes early on, using keyboards, folk-influenced riffs, and the introduction of some clean vocals with traditional Finnish lyrics that created their distinct sound, epitomized by 1994’s Tales from the Thousand Lakes that gained them international recognition. It was on the back of that landmark record that Amorphis became the first Finnish extreme metal band to tour the United States that same year with Entombed, who they had looked up to from their early days.
Though conditions on that first journey through North America were difficult to put it mildly, Amorphis was blazing a trail that many aspiring Finnish metal musicians would follow shortly after. The band’s success in popularizing an extreme style of music was inspiring to those starting out back home, showing them that a band from Finland could play high-caliber death metal and become internationally known. The flourish of innovative, creative, and vibrant bands in the mid-to-late 1990s across the country stands as a testament to the pioneering effect Amorphis had, with many of these bands following the path the group had set forth just a few years prior.
Now, after releasing 15 studio albums and circumnavigated the globe many times over, including a recent run across four continents and nine countries a little over a month ago, Amorphis is coming back to North America in support of their latest release, 2025’s Borderland. Ahead of the first date of the tour, I had a chance to catch up with Tomi K. about the upcoming shows, and a number of other topics, including:
- how he feels about Borderland now that it’s been out in the world for a year, their latest run across the world in support of the album, the incredible amount of traveling and jet lag he’s experienced, and his personal preferences for touring.
- Amorphis’ collaboration with Insomnium on “The Hour Grows Late” and how he felt delivering his trademark growls on record again, whether he will join Insomnium in stage to play the song, the logistical difficulties of performing at a 500-year old Finnish castle, and a special appearance from his Abhorrence bandmate and Opeth drummer Waltteri Väyrynen on this run.
- Tomi’s experience opening for Darkthrone in 1989 and hanging out at the Mayhem house in Norway, how difficult it is to pick a setlist when you have fifteen albums, memories from the band’s first tour through the United States and gratitude for improved accommodations.
- old stories from sharing a rehearsal space with Children of Bodom and Norther back in the day at Nosturi including finding CoB’s missing contract with Spinefarm, recollections of working with Mikko Karmila at Finnvox Studios before his passing, Tomi’s decision to step down as vocalist to focus on guitar, and the crticial role Tomi Joutsen has played in the band’s resurgence.
- reflections about the importance of Amorphis in the scope of influencing and inspiring the vibrant Finnish metal scene that we know and love today.
You can watch the entire interview HERE:
As Tomi will attest, while many things surrounding the band have changed, including the touring conditions, the goals of the band have not. With each subsequent release, Amorphis is still trying to make their best record yet and tour the world, just as they set out to do when the band formed in 1990. With Borderland, they have produced another classic that follows in a long line of fantastic material the group has delivered in over the last three and a half decades. And just as before, there are countless musicians back home in Finland who are finding inspiration from the trailblazing work like they did back in the early 1990s and setting their sights on similar feats, following in the wake of that first journey across the Atlantic.
Amorphis' co-headlining tour with Insomnium kicks off next week on November 17th with a show at Paradise Rock Club in Boston and runs through December 19th at Irving Plaza in New York City. Ticket information can be found by clicking the link below.
If you haven't already, you can pick up a copy of Amorphis' fifteenth studio album Borderland by clicking on the album cover below.
Check out the video for Insomnium's "The Hour Grows Late," the track off their latest album Netherworlds that features Tomi K., Tomi J., and Santeri Kallio of Amorphis, here:
