We reported last month that Amorphis was in the studio with some choirs and orchestral elements and now it's time for everyone to know the fruits of their labor. Amorphis has announced their new album Queen Of Time is due out on May 18, and according to the press release, this will be the first time that people will be able to hear their lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on the album as he contributes a speech in Finnish. The album was produced by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Amon Amarth, Kreator), and will be their first with bassist and vocalist Olli-Pekka Laine since 1999's Tuonela.
Here's what guitarist Esa Holopainen had to say about the album
"I guess Queen Of Time turned out as a massive surprise to all of us. During the rehearsing and pre-production we didn’t have any idea that Jens had this huge picture inside of his head about the landscape of the album. It’s a very natural continuation to Under The Red Cloud but with steroids. The songs are more aggressive but there’s more dynamics, harmonies and orchestral arrangements present. The result is Amorphis as something you’ve never heard before! Essentially, working with Jens worked really well. As a person he is very similar to us – we share the same kind of weird humor and we all like to work hard."
You can also check out the cover art for the album done by French artist Jean "Valnoir" Simoulin from Metastazis below.
