Many have argued that this is Amorphis's best output to date and I am very tempted to agree. I love 'Tales from the Thousand Lakes', though, but this is just as good. 'The Karelian Isthmus' is a great slab of early '90s atmospheric death that remains brutal to this day. Even in 1992, this band showed a lot of promise, especially for the band members' young ages.

At the time I got this album, my favorite song was "Exile of the Sons of Uisliu", but after hearing the melancholic harmony part toward the end of "Warriors Trials", that immediately became the new favorite and has remained so since. Each song has it's own kick-ass part in it. "The Lost Name of God" is a really good song. So is "The Gathering". They're all really damn good. I shudder to think at what Amorphis could be if they'd maintained the brutality instead of going in the direction they did.

© 1999 goden