In a new interview with Rocking.gr, Tomi Koivusaari, guitarist and founder of Finnish melancholic dark metal masters AMORPHIS, discusses the band's new album, Circle. An excerpt follows:

Q: Congratulations on Circle. Although I enjoyed your latest works, I believed a change was necessary, and it came. I'm glad the growls are still there.

A: "Thank you! We started to think before recording this album that maybe we should change the process of making album this time, as last four albums we did at same studio with almost same crew all the time. We needed change, not only to have something new to our sound, but keeping ourselves inspired. So we wanted one same guy to record, produce and mix the album, someone who would be aware as us what's going on on process and so on. Also we went to countryside all of us to record, mainly because we wanted a peaceful place, that nobody is hurrying home or anything but staying at same place 24h for a week or so. That's how we did our first four albums back in the days. Recording all separate felt too clinic a way to do it this time. Working with Peter Tägtgren was great, we've known him for ages, he's cool guy and had great ideas and made great sound for the record."

Q: Personally, I believe that Circle is a move away from the style you introduced mostly with Skyforger and The Beginning Of Times. Do you agree? Was that a choice?

A: "I think so too. We wanted a darker and heavier sound for this one, also wanted the whole album to be more compact, not having any filler songs and not too long. Also I think that Circle is less poppy. When we were composing songs that wasn't conscious, as we never plan what we should do next. Obviously we wanted to go in a darker direction. Sound is much more heavier and guitar-oriented."

Read the full interview at this location.

Amorphis will release their new album, Circle, on April 19th in Europe and the 30th in North America via Nuclear Blast.

Check out a lyric video for the new song 'Enchanted By The Moon' below:

Amorphis will be celebrating the release of Circle at a special record release show, on April 25th at The Circus in Helsinki, Finland. At this show, Amorphis will be performing Circle in its entirety. Further details at this location.

The group recently revealed the cover artwork and tracklisting for Circle, produced and mixed by HYPOCRISY and PAIN mastermind Peter Tägtgren (CHILDREN OF BODOM, CELTIC FROST, IMMORTAL, DIMMU BORGIR) in Petrax Studio, Hollola (NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, KORPIKLAANI) as well as in 5K Studios, Helsinki.

Vocalist Tomi Joutsen comments on the cover artwork, created by Tom Bates (BLEED FROM WITHIN, DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL):

“The mystic, androgynous person on the cover represents a spiritual guide. This character was sent from another time and place to help the album’s protagonist find a new path for his life.”

This very guide was already mentioned by Amorphis lyricist Pekka Kainulainen in his summary of the album concept: "The protagonist has been dealt a bad hand at birth. He’s always felt himself an outsider with strong potential to become marginalized. Through an accident, after a crisis, he finds a connection with his inner powers. A guide is sent to him, from another time and place. He gets a chance to take hold of his own life and change his destiny. From the past of Carelian Finland he finds his own spiritual tribe and the power to turn the course of his doomed life. This is a story of survival."

The tracklist of Circle is follows:

'Shades Of Gray'

'Mission'

'The Wanderer'

'Narrow Path'

'Hopeless Days'

'Nightbird's Song'

'Into The Abyss'

'Enchanted By The Moon'

'A New Day'

Bonus track:

'Dead Man's Dream'

The album’s ltd. digi book version will come with a bonus DVD, including:

The Making Of “Circle”

'Nightbird’s Song' (video clip)

Lyric videos for the album tracks 'Hopeless Days' and 'Shades Of Gray' can be seen below:

Apart from the CD+DVD digi book version, Circle will be available on CD (without bonus track), black 2LP in gatefold, brown 2LP in gatefold and as a bulging ltd. box, including 3 bonus tracks plus a wristband – exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast mail order.

Pre-order your copy now here.