You might remember a year or so ago we covered a little EP by a Finnish band called Sammal, who sing in their native tongue and pay homage to some of the great prog & heavy rock bands of the '70s. That debut EP collected some early songs of the bands career, and with this latest Svart Records release the entire group collaborated on all new material of sparkling, heavy progressive rock that is sure to thrill any fan of the genre.
Once again, the vocals are front and center, sung in the Finnish dialect, but that doesn't detract from the overall listening experience as they are soaring and quite melodic, reminding at times of the quality that we've gotten used to with many of the great Italian prog singers over the years. Musically, as with the debut, plenty of blistering guitar and commanding Hammond organ permeate the arrangements, tunes such as "Samaan arkeen" and "Stormvarning" bristling with majestic passages as well as moments of hard rocking fury. Both "Järjen ohimarssi" and "Kohtaus yön vyöllä" are a must for Deep Purple/Uriah Heep fans with their grand keyboard/guitar interplay, while the heavy riffs of "Muurahaisen päiväuni" recall early Black Sabbath but tossed with some sensational vintage prog rock styled keyboards. "Aika on alkamassa" is like The Doors on steroids, while the dreamy "Sulle haavan tein" mixes pastoral prog, folk, and jazz, again reminding of some of the vintage Italian acts like Banco or PFM. The closing 10-minute "Herätkää!" is a pure prog/fusion number, a slow builder that kicks off with atmospheric, spacey passages before steadily morphing into an upbeat, almost funky slice of melodic jazz rock, complete with shuffling rhythms, electric piano and tasty guitar.
Prog rock fans who simply can't get enough vintage '70s styled sounds will certainly be drawn to all that Myrskyvaroitus has to offer. Sammal have done a wonderful job recreating adventurous heavy progressive rock from a glorious era, and with that have signaled their arrival in a big way. Recommended.
Track Listing
- Stormvarning
- Järjen ohimarssi
- Samaan arkeen
- Kohtaus yön vyöllä
- Muurahaisen päiväuni
- Aika on alkamassa
- Sulle haavan tein
- Kohti pintaa
- Herätkää!
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
