Nurkostam: C

The Finnish band Nurkostam had a busy 2009 culminating in the release of C, the band's latest exploration in their own distinctive brand of progressive rock. The line up for this album is Tero Koski (guitars, Mellotron, Hammond L22, Rhodes, Yamaha CP-70, analog synths, Chapman stick, drums, sequencing), Toni Nurmi (vocals, guitars, bass), and Janne Tamminen (guitars, Mellotron, Hammond C3, Yamaha CP-70, analog synths, clavinet, speech, sampling, sequencing). Also included is Aki Tulikari who provides vocals on "Crawlin' Nation".

The band's music is still rooted in the tradition of early Genesis, King Crimson and Pink Floyd, but the band have a personality all their own, and while they draw upon these influences, they are not limited by them and in fact are quite unique in that regard. As you can see from the instrument list, keyboards and synthesizers are a major component to the band's sound, and are used not so much in grandiose soloing but instead provide textures and layers that give this music plenty of atmosphere.

Although the music of Nurkostam has not changed much from previous efforts, there is more of an electronic vibe on C, particularly in the drums and percussion. The album starts with "The Pearl Song" and a sound a little different than I have heard from them before. Funky bass grooves, an ambient piano section and some interesting synths and programming adds to the electronic nature of the music. The band mellows out with the moody "Gone", complete with the emotional vocals and prominent bass of Nurmi laid over a dense layer of synths and keys. The atmospheric "Crawlin' Nation" with its slow acoustic rhythms and spacey synths gives off a Floyd-like vibe and the quaint "Darkmoor" has a Camelesque approach to melody before turning more ominous with somber piano and darker synth textures. Crashing cymbals and moody guitar also adds to the drama, making this the album's best song.

This is another solid effort from Nurkostam, however, at just under thirty minutes this is a short album by today's standards. I would love to see the band put out some longer material so as to fully develop their musical ideas. Still, if you like moody, introspective progressive rock in a mellower vein, you should give this Finnish band a try.

Track Listing:
1. The Pearl Song
2. Gone
3. Prison 4
4. My Planet
5. Crawlin' Nation
6. Intentionally Left Blank
7. Slo Lee
8. Shrine
9. Darkmoor

Added: February 15th 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 2538
Language: english

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