HADAL SHERPA

Glad to meet this creation. A Finnish promising psychedelic rock unit HADAL SHARPA have finally released their debut eponymous album in 2017, including their 'icon' track 'Chafa Azeno', that was introduced for me by the guitarist Ville a while ago. This single track via Indie Go-go Campaign was so exciting for me enough to look forward to their first full-length album, and the debut was as fantastic as expected. Yes like an eyeball in front of a facially formed tree, their soundscape is wide, wild, and weird.

One of their masterpieces 'Chafa Azeno' is filled with their liberal creativity and mysterious sensitivity. There is apparently ethnic texture like an Indian folk song featuring electric sitar sounds. This sound method reminds me of Avaruuskorpraali Paha Hirvi, one of Space Rock combo hailing from Finland. But Hadal Sherpa's attitude to progressive rock is not imitating such a tribalism or ethnicity to produce so-called psychedelic progressive / space rock but digesting the melodic method out for training their progressive rock muscles.

The opening suite 'Nautilus' is more acceptable spacey rock tinged with pop flavour. It's flooded with percussive dreamy beats and comfortable danceable flute timbre. Gentle, melodious guitar play is pretty cool, delicious. 'Ikaros' is sorta theatre of his story - he'd flown to the sky with his 'wings', and fallen to dead after losing the wings - there are hope, dream, and crisis via their distorted sound and groove. 'Marracech' goes forward speedily and powerfully leaning towards my favourite space rock song 'Kaleidoscope' by Rara Avis In Terris. The last 'Black Elk' is orientally aromatic and deeply narcistic ... repetitive heavy movements surely drive us mad.

In conclusion, they adopt their original ethnicity and reasonable pop sense also with linkage towards psychedelic progressive / space rock definition. Will be one of the best progressive rock debut shots in 2017, I suggest?

3.5 stars. HADAL SHERPA are a five piece band out of Finland and this is their debut from 2017. Pretty much keyboards, guitar, bass and drums with Vesa here being the multi instrumentalist, composer and leader also adding guitar, keyboards as well as bouzouki. I really like the cover art and this was self released by the band. The music really comes across to me as symphonic space rock with a lot of mid-paced music and a strong ethnic vibe on some tracks. HIDRIA SPACEFOLK might be a good comparison. This is instrumental and fairly long at 68 minutes. We get some guests adding flute, trumpet and percussion all on that final track although the flute will show up on the first two songs as well. Some cello from the bass player too.

I have a top three although "Ikaros" for me stands out as the best bar none. I really like the way it sounds with that picked guitar and brighter sound. Some organ too and they amp things up eventually. The way it ends is really cool the way it sort of disintegrates to a spacey ending. "Heracleion" is the next track and my second favourite. It's the longest at over 11 minutes. Great spacey intro then we're teased by the bass followed by drums and more. Spacey synths late. "Abyss" is the final top three and this one is about the atmosphere early on. Bass and haunting sounds 2 minutes in. It does get heavier later. There's some ethnic dominated pieces like "Marracech" not surprisingly along with "Chafa Azeno" and the closer "Black Elk".

A lot of positive reviews for this one, it's quite the debut. Having spent about a year now listening to psychedelic music I can say the is really good but down the way a fair amount when it comes to favourites of this stye. OZRIC TENTACLE fans seem to dig this album as well. I do recommend it, there's lots to enjoy here but it's just not a keeper for me.