Record Reviews

SAMMAL ~ SUULIEKKI SVART 140 (Barcode: 6430065583905) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the third album by Finnish Prog group SammalFind albums by this artist, which consists of vocalist Jan-Erik KiviniemiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jura SalmiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Juhani LaineFind albums by this artist, bassist Lasse IlanoFind albums by this artist and drummer Tuomas KarivaaraFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original pieces, written by the group members and featuring lyrics in Finnish. The music continues the concept of the two earlier albums, but this time offers more melodic and complex compositions. The sound and style are faithful retro reproductions of Prog / Hard Rock of late 1960s / early 1970s, rather than an attempt to innovate, which is probably fine with most Prog followers. Prog blossomed in Finland during that period in parallel to other Prog centers across Europe. Sammal, like several other contemporary Finnish Prog groups, decided to skip over the dreaded Neo-Prog wave, which proved to be mostly derivative, and decided to return to the source of the music, at the height of its magical powers. They also decided to use vocals in Finnish, rather than ridicule the vocal parts with broken English pronunciation and accent. As a result of these conscious decisions and of course their talents and abilities, they offer a retro sound / style of the idiom, which is authentic and at the same appealing. The music is excellently structured within the idiom´s boundaries, offering great melodies, strong riffs and superb soloing. The instrumental execution is spotless, as are the vocals, and original Prog connoisseurs should be delighted to hear this music, which is able to bring on waves of nostalgia and excitement at the same time. The pieces on this album are every bit as strong and stimulating as those on some the best albums created in the past. Overall this album is certainly the strongest offering by the group. For people who already have numerous Prog albums, but are not aware of Sammal, it is a high time to discover them. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 24/02/2021

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