This album checks all of the boxes. Amorphis skillfully patch Melodic Death Metal, Power Metal, Symphonic Metal, Traditional Metal, Prog Metal, and AOR/Hard Rock into one clear signal. Vocalist Tomi Joutsen walks the two worlds of soaring clean vocals and harsh DM growls like a pro, with some occasional female vocal guest appearances from Petronella Nettermalm.

Amorphis are a Finnish band, but are clearly disciples of Opeth, especially in the vocals and the keyboards. There are also flourishes of Opeth’s countrymen, In Flames and Scar Symmetry, Denmark’s The Royal Hunt, America’s Dream Theater, and back to Finland: Nightwish.
This album is as easy as a seaside road. It’s a relaxing joy to breeze through. They make a number of bold choices with production and instrumentation, including the occasional sitar, but the songwriting choices tend to stick to the familiar. All of the chord progressions, timings, and note choices are safe. “Windmane” - - the album’s best track by a long shot - - is the one track that toys with the edge a bit.
I’ve greatly enjoyed every pass-through of “Halo.” The opening track, “Northwards,” immediately pulls you into its orbit. The lyrics across the entire album are rife with epic lore, legends, stories, and history of ages past, poetically written and sung. It’s hard to reject “Halo” - - there’s just too much to like about it.