As we await the May 18 release of Amorphis' Queen of Time, they've shared the album's resplendent opening track, "The Bee," offering the first glimpse inside their 13th studio effort.

This could be the densest track the Finns have authored. It's kaleidoscopic in it's beauty, layering hypnotic melodies over pale, ethereal female vocals and lavish chords with a spiraling effect. As always with Amorphis, there's a balance of splendor and brawn, with Tomi Joutsen's deathly bellow and chugging guitars cutting down the melody, seesawing as the song plays on, finally merging at the end for climactic finish.

"This song is a very powerful opener and gives a nice picture of what the whole album is all about. You can already hear some new elements like choirs and orchestral arrangements in it," says guitarist Esa Holopainen. Joutsen adds, "Of course, the lyrical inspiration is a bee, also in a metaphoric way. The tiniest thing can sometimes be the most important thing. A bee can bring life or if we destroy all the bees, life will stop here. It's a very beautiful animal, that's why you can find it on the album cover too. The track itself is a kind of progressive and I'm sure that it will surprise some fans in a positive way. We love it!"

It'll be a few months before Amorphis get to North America with a co-headlining trek with Dark Tranquility kicking off in September. Moonspell and Omnium Gatherum will also be on the run and you can head here for a list of all the stops.

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