Finnish band Amorphis, led by guitarist Esa Holopainen, pursued a neoclassical version of death metal, which preferred the sound of keyboards. After debuting in a conventional thrash vein on The Karelian Isthmus (1992), the band veered abruptly towards a keyboard-intensive sound and lyircs inspired by the national epics on Tales From The Thousand Lakes (1994). Elegy (1996), featuring new keyboardist Kim Rantala new drummer Pekka Kasari, and Tuonela (1998), featuring keyboardist Santeri Kallio, further refined their hyper-fusion of metal, progressive and psychedelic elements thanks to arrangements that were not ashamed of incorporating ethnic, classical or folk instruments.

Am Universum (2001), Far From The Sun (2003) Eclipse (2006), Silent Waters (2007) continued to expand their ever more austere musical vision.