FINNFOREST / LÄHTÓ MATKALLE

This is an instrumental fusion band from the seventies. It has a certain Finnish (and forestral?) nature, like e.g. Pekka Pohjola's music too. The composer is the guitarist Pekka Tegelman (who later wrote and played for singer Liisa Tavi among others, by the way). The sound is rather mellow, besides electric guitar the keyboards are in the key role. I'm not expert in these things but I guess Minimoog is behind the nocturnal sound heard especially in the beautiful opener 'Mikä yö'/ 'What a night'. I can imagine how perfectly flute would fit into Finnforest's music, making it more comparable to CAMEL.

This CD includes the two main albums; the debut (1975) is very short so that really makes sense. Sadly no retrospective information is given. I may like a couple of debut's tracks the best, even if Lähtö Matkalle (1976) is more progressive with longer compositions. The keyboardist had changed and some other new players arrived for the second album - another reason for sounding a bit different. I think I should like Finnforest more than I do; somehow however it often remains a bit lame music to my ears. There could be more either intensity or melodic beauty than there is. Anyway, there are some listeners even abroad who are very charmed by this band; if you want to hear some vintage Finnish fusion this is surely worth checking out.

PS: 'Koin siipesi' (I felt your wings) has a little wordplay, it means also 'your moth wings'. Many titles refer to nature, suitably.