Welcome to the meandering musical insights of Aaron Joy (me!), formerly known as the Roman Midnight Music Blog. Here you'll find nearly 750 reviews of CDs & DVDs of rock & metal in all its variations, mainstream & indie, good & bad, U.S. & foreign. A new review every Monday.

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June 21, 2010

Alamaailman Vasarat ~ Huuro Kolkko (album review) ... This side of Frank Zappa!



Style: experimental, avant-garde, folk metal, world music, progressive
Label: Nordic Notes
Year: 2009
Home: Finland

Members: Tuukka Helminen, Marko Manninen ~ cello
Erno Haukkala ~ horns
Miikka Huttunen ~ pump organ/piano/keyboards
Teemu Hänninen ~ drums/percussion
Jarno Sarkula ~ horns

 

This isn't metal, nor rock, but one of those occasional odd avant-garde releases that uses rock influences & works with it in a non-guitar based environment ... for some chilling results. Horns, strings, organ & drums combine into something instrumental with a metal-esque dark rhythm. No, this is not another Rasputina, the famed goth cello group, though it has the same moodiness. The name of the band translates to "Hammers Of The Underworld", which belays a lot about the music almost more than the label they give themselves on their website: "kebab-kosher-jazz-film-traffic-punk-music". The music is traditional European folk and Klezmer but attacked with the ferocity of 3 chord punk rock. At times the results are reminiscent of not just Rasputina but also Marilyn Manson, HIM & a chunk of the jazzier side of Frank Zappa. & if you don't speak Finnish don't worry as it's all instrumental, albeit I find Finnish a great sounding language. The moods range from contemplative to heavy, jazzy to ethnic, droning to melodic. An interesting release worth checking out if you like experimental & avant-garde music.



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