Record Reviews

SAMMAL ~ MYRSKYVAROITUS SVART 370 (Barcode: 6430050663452) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the second 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 takes off exactly where the debut ended and follows the quest of direct continuation of the Prog / Hard Rock idiom that crystallized in the late 1960s / early 1970s during the original early Prog / Hard Rock wave (Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, Uriah HeepFind albums by this artist and of course many others), which blossomed in Finland 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 (or in one case in Swedish, which is the second formal language in Finland), 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. This album was followed by the third album "SuuliekkiFind albums with this title", which affirms the group´s success to bring Prog back to its former glory. 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: 24/10/2020

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SAMMAL ~ SAMMAL SVART 179 (Barcode: 6430028553792) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2011 Released: 2013 This is the debut 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 is a direct continuation of the Prog / Hard Rock idiom that crystallized in the late 1960s / early 1970s during the original Prog wave, which blossomed in Finland 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. I had a great time while listening to this album and the fact that they also managed to record (so far) two additional albums is very encouraging and promising. 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: 20/10/2020

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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

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend