HUONO PARTURI

Possessed by both the craziness and virtuosic genius of both King Crimson and Frank Zappa, this Finnish band provided the 1990s with two superb albums of heavy chamber prog. I agree with other reviewers that this album, the band's second, is better than their debut because it is less dark and, more, because it shows a more polished, better engineered version of their virtuosic skills as composers and musicians.

1. "Beata Viscera" (6:53) opens with low drone and lone mediæval monk Topi Lehtipuu singing in Latin. Amazing! In the third minute the low-end drone is doubled (tripled) by other instruments as the vocalist continues with increased passion. Things soften again at 3:45 until 5:30 when Topi stops and the drones and overtone-chanting takes over. (15/15)

2. "Terva-Antti Ku Häihin Lähti" (4:02) like King Crimson and Frank Zappa at their craziest and most polished and complex--only performed with chamber instruments alongside the rock electric one. (9.5/10)

3. "Karhunkaato" (4:21) this one opens with more of a heavy prog feel/sound but then takes a 222 degree turn left and oblique into Romany or Slavic rock opera. (9/10)

4. "Lumisaha" (4:39) lots of hand and stick-hit percussives (makes me think of P-We YOSHIMI's tribal rhythms on her OOIOO project's albums). The whispered vocals also remind me of OOIOO, but the operatic vocalise in the background and heavy, odd-tempoed Crimson-like foundational music say otherwise (more like Zeuhl bands RUINS or UNIT WAIL). Topi's vocals come full operatic (á la That Joe Payne) before the song reaches its finish. (9/10)

5. "Baksteri" (1:57) a kind of carnival-public orchestral interlude with a horn/winds quartet. (4.5/5)

6. "Huono Parturi" (4:52) abrasive, angular notes and chords open this one before cello takes over with drums, bass, and saw-like guitar accompanying. A switch as Topi enters with a very dramatic cabaret-like voice. I feel as if I'm watching an outdoor performance of some Punch and Judy puppet show on a side-street of some old bricked road in an old mediæval inner city of a European city. Not my favorite; more repetitive than most other H-K songs. (8.5/10)

7. "Ullakon Lelut" (2:19) pipe organ sounding arpeggi opens before cello and then volume-controlled electric guitar and hand drums join in. Very cool and unusual sound palette. (4.5/5)

8. "Tottele" (2:39) pure feedback/special Fx noises opens this before a 70s Red-era King Crimson groove and palette take over. Could verily have come out of the Red sessions. (10/10)

9. "Kala" (5:11) opens with a spy-detective film soundtrack feel, which only gets amplified and enhanced as the full band joins in. When it comes time to add vocals, Topi and background vocalists put together an awesome weave against a much more sparsely filled foundation. Strings interlude after the second verse and brief return to KC heaviness then turns mystical/angelic as Topi performs some beautiful wordless vocalise within the chamber weave of bass, drums, electric guitar, cello, and, gradually, multiple other harmonizing vocals. Weird but awesome song! (9.75/10)

10. "Laahustaja" (6:21) opens like an old rocker from 1970 before electric guitar is joined by drums and cello. More virtuosic twists and turns of heaviness and light are performed on this song's interesting journey. Flute paired with heavily distorted guitar and power chords is very interesting. A few too many turns on this one just got me lost, or bored. Vocals could have helped.(8.75/10)

11. "Laina-Ajalla" (5:27) cello and violin support Topi as he heads back into monastic operatica. (I am very much reminded of That Joe Payne.) Acoustic and electric guitars join the weave in the second minute as do drums and bass. The chamber weave is awesome--very ANEKDOTEN-like (which is purely a coincidence since Anekdoten drummer Peter Nordins was sitting in on a couple of songs on this album). It's so difficult rating this songs as they are so unlike any that I've ever heard before in my life. (9.5/10)

Total Time: 46:24

A/five stars; a full-out masterpiece of ingenious and refreshing progressive rock music from a group of very creative and virtuosic Finns.