HUURO KOLKKO

Fifth album of this crazy Finnish group that is now well established, but are also now busy rethreading the same fabric with not much change ever since their debut album. Well, I guess I'd better be clear: there are novelties here. First this is a concept album about the explorer Huuro Kolkko (hence the album title), although you'd have a hard time telling what the story is about since there is no vocals (call back on Tuomari Nurinio???;o)))) and the booklet says nothing of the concept's storyline. Second, Jarno Stakula (ex-Sarkula) has had built custom for him a new "tubax" (a contrabass-sax), and the group acquired a Theremin, but none of this is likely to provoke drastic changes under the midnight sun or noon moon.

Unfortunately, the group doesn't extend their scope from their usual Kelzmer-Manouche soundscape, which by now are really wearing thin on the most resilient Avant-prog fans like me. Even more so that the group is hardly the only one occupying that niche - look towards Quebec or to a lesser extent Belgium. If the debut had managed to make a small dent in the music market and cause a shock with its Black Metal Cellos and nearly-uncontrollable brass, one must say that after 4,5 albums, this one is not much different and certainly never surprises the auditor. Whether this album is better than the previous ones? Worse , certainly not, better also not. Neither is it different or unusual for them.