Jethro Tull meets Nirvana by way of Leprous. How’s that for a teaser?
On their fifth album, Haydenspark, Finland’s Overhead manages to bridge classic rock and the heavy alternative sounds of the Nineties with contemporary prog influences. Vocalist Alex Keskitalo also plays the flute, drummer Ville Sjöblom blows the sax, and the entire four-man band feeds off the guitar-driven hooks and thick melodies that permeate most of these nine songs.
Dark, mid-paced songs like “Count Your Blessings” and “Death By Tribulation” sound built for American heavy-rock radio, while the expansive opening of “Gone Too Far” conjures images of Ian Anderson standing on one foot. And the keyboard-based title track borrows from The Neal Morse Band. In other words, there’s a little something for everyone on Haydenspark.
Musea released Overhead’s first three albums, and it’s easy to see why they became one of the French label’s most popular artists. However, Haydenspark finds the band moving well beyond the “progressive” label. This is engaging music by a band that deserves greater name recognition.
Track Listing:
1. Animation for the Poor Man
2. Last Generation
3. Count Your Blessings
4. Haydenspark
5. King of the World
6. Across the Nation
7. Death by Tribulation
8. The Fall
9. Gone Too Far