Amoral

Formed in Helsinki in 1997 around guitarist Ben Varon and drummer Juhana Karlsson, Amoral initially evolved in a technical death metal style marked by very dense riffs, complex rhythms and extreme vocals, as heard on Wound Creations (2004), Decrowning (2005) and Reptile Ride (2007). After several European tours and festival appearances such as Tuska Open Air, the Finnish band shifted direction at the end of the 2000s with the arrival of singer Ari Koivunen and bassist Pekka Johansson. On Show Your Colors (2009) and Beneath (2011), Amoral steered its writing toward progressive and melodic heavy metal, where the arrangements remain technical but give more space to clear refrains, acoustic passages and a broader production. Later becoming a sextet with the arrival of guitarist Masi Hukari and then the return of Niko Kalliojärvi, this time also on guitar and with aggressive vocal parts, Amoral continued this synthesis of progressive metal, rhythmic tension and vocal contrasts on Fallen Leaves & Dead Sparrows (2014) and In Sequence (2016). Over the course of its career, Amoral played in Finland, Europe, Japan, China, the Philippines and the United States, before ending activities in 2017.