HAIKARA

For better or worse, each Haikara album has seen something new in the sound. In this case, much better. On Haikara's previous album "Haikara IV: Domino", there was one track, "Gloria Deo", that stood out amongst the others, with a darker heavier sound, similar to 70s King Crimson (in particular, the albums "Larks' Tongues In Aspic" "Starless And Bible Black" and "Red"). Haikara take this sound and develop it further on their fifth album, "Tuhkamaa" (which appropriately seems to translate as "Ash Land" in English).

To help with this development of sound, there are some key musical changes. The guitar is harsher, and is spitting out Frippish riffs, often in odd time signatures. Over the top of this we often have the saxophone screeching menacingly, gone completely are the smooth jazz approaches of "Haikara IV: Domino", replaced with aggression, and a dark intent. Realising that the vocals are not really the key to the music here, they are used sparingly, but effectively. In fact, 4 of the 8 tracks here are instrumentals. The final big change is that cello has also entered the sound, replacing Jan Schaper's recorders, and played intelligently by Hannu Kivilä. It is used to often create a mellow or sombre tone as well as excitement, when required.

The result of this is a heavier, fuller, and more compelling album than any Haikara has released since their excellent debut, concentrating mostly on tight, and darker pieces. This is probably their most aggressive album to date. The drums are often pounding, the sax is now being used powerfully. Much of Haikara's most memorable material is on this album.

The "Tuhkamaa - Intro" gives us a very brief taste of what is to come, so it is really "Kosovo" where things get started, the building pulse of cello with the saxophone over the top immediately showcasing the richer instrumental side that Haikara have created. The march of the drum in the background makes the song feel purposeful, and thus this is a good opener.

"Valtakunta" sees the band further utilising the excellent interplay of cello and saxophone. Whilst it is probably normally the saxophone that takes the lead, the cello can often play this role, and the way they play off each other is one of the more compelling elements of the album. "Valtakunta" also gives us the first vocals, which are done competently. Not fireworks, they more match to the tone of the song. There is again more than one singer, and we do get some enjoyable harmonies.

"Harlekiini" opens with footsteps then organ, in a quite odd manner. Somehow it gives the impression of a creepy abandoned fairground. After this, there is a menacing 6/8 riff with sax slithering around over the top in a slightly bluesy, slightly jazzy way. Very enjoyable. It leads straight into the next track, "Klovni". It opens with dark, low, but full vocals. I am enjoying the Finnish intonation again, and it's worth emphasising how it can often give a band it's own character to be singing in their native language. Later, sax melodies really come to the fore in this mellow setting, they sit on top of the cello really well.

Next up is the title track, "Tuhkamaa", the longest of the album, which starts with a reprise of the theme from the introduction. This is where we start to see some really classic Haikara. It starts with just vocals, cello and a minimal acoustic accompaniment, but in the great Haikara tradition, there are number of good and effectively contrasting parts. What's really great about this song though, is how well it flows through all of this, and still manages to retain a solemn tone throughout.

"Hymni" is another really great song. There are some really pounding rhythms for the sax to screech over, and some parts sound really dramatic. This is probably one of the most eclectic songs of the album, opening with some classical sounding organ, moving through some of the heavier guitar and saxophone parts, to a sitar solo. By the end, there is a swirl of duelling instruments (including the sitar). There is a real variety of sound to this song that makes it highly appealing.

The album closes with "Oodi", which is a bit different to the rest of the songs. It is the only track that I would call vocal dominated, in this case with melodic female vocals. It is a bit more upbeat than the rest of the album, which is probably why it was chosen as the last song, with sax and vocals sometimes entwining melodically.

"Tuhkamaa" is an excellent album, with good things in each track. It flows very naturally, and feels like a really cohesive effort, and definitely needs to be heard as such. Sadly, it seems this is the last we have seen of Haikara. Tragedy struck in March 2005 with the sudden death of band leader Vesa Lattunen, making this release an unexpectedly poignant swansong. Perhaps one day his music will get the more widespread recognition it deserves.

Haikara's 1998 release, "Haikara IV: Domino", was the first from the band in 22 years. Only Vesa Lattunen remains from the original lineup. I went into this with no idea of what I was about to hear (I did not find any reviews). I thought the first Haikara album was excellent, the second was reasonable, and the third was awful. I went in with no real expectations. Where, I wondered, would Lattunen take Haikara now that he had more control again? It turns out, something new.

The first half of the album ("Polku", "Portti" and "Ykseys") takes a soft approach. The guitar is now mostly acoustic, and the saxophone takes an almost smooth jazz approach at times, flowing rather than blasting. It works okay, but I'm left wondering why Kenny G is playing in Haikara? Truth be told these 3 tracks are a little dull, and samey. Well, maybe that's not entirely fair. It can get a bit more exciting/rocky at times, which the saxophone partially matches, though it can also stray into some cheesy territory at times. There are some pleasant melodies, but not much more than that, definitely no drama or bombast.

The second half ("Lady", "Gloria Deo" and "Kultamalja") is much better. There are also some new sounds, the 'monk choir' on "Gloria Deo" for example. Interestingly, Lattunen claims that the choir came to him in a dream. "Gloria Deo" is easily the most exciting track of the album; darker/heavier and more electric guitar driven than anything else on the record. The ominous choir opens the track, and caught me off guard the first time I listened to the album, then we are into the main electric guitar 5/8 riff, injecting a bit of heaviness. The saxophone comes in with a bit of menace over the top, the whole thing has the same dark feeling the first album had! The drums offer some intent as well, at times, and work well with the excellent slightly Frippish guitar over the heavy bass near the end. Personally, I wish I could have heard more from the choir, but even so, this one is really good. There is a real King Crimson vibe to it, more so than any other Haikara song.

Haikara have often had the knack of writing short but effective beautiful little songs. "Polku" doesn't quite live up to this, with its soft recorder tones, but the album closer "Kultamalja" very much does. The acoustic guitar is back to play us out, and the delicate vocals work well. The song end up feeling like a sad lullaby, with a very melancholic slow beauty to it.

Mostly worth checking out for Haikara fans, mainly for the excellent "Gloria Deo", and perhaps "Kultamalja" also.

First to second album was somewhat of a change for Haikara, but second to third was a drastic change. The band is now almost entirely removed from the music of their excellent debut. This is strange, because a lot of things are the same. The cover art is still weird, the instruments are the same, the vocals are still in Finnish, the flute and saxophone are still around, and the guitar is just the same. We even keep nearly the same lineup from "Geafar" (with the only change being that Matti Heinänen comes in to replace Auli Lattunenno on vocals). But "Iso Lintu" is very different to the first two albums, and I'm afraid it's a turn for the worse.

The album is composed of much shorter, and much more simplistic songs, none breaking the 5 min mark. The album itself only comes in at about 29 min! The band was with a record company that wanted short catchy singles (see the bonus tracks also) and were having to make a lot of compromises. Actually, some of the members of the band were pushing in this direction too, which is probably why they subsequently broke up and went on a 22 year hiatus (Vesa Lattunen would return in 1998 to reform the band). In fact, Lattunen himself says "The main reason was that the drummer and the bass player wanted to play more commercial music to make more money". That's not to say short songs or albums are a problem (think Gentle Giant), but in this case, the album is short because the songs are very basic, and there isn't much to them.

Some songs that did catch my attention though. "Romanssi" is a more measured piece, with a slightly more mellow mood in line with Haikara's previous albums. In fact, "Romanssi" is a part of their composition for group and symphony orchestra "Kuutamo", that will hopefully one day see the light of day. "Für Hanna" is a neat little instrumental track that I enjoy for its delicate flute sounds. "Kuinka Ollakaan" also provides a bit of an early-Tull vibe, with the hard guitar, and slightly dirty flute. These are all rather belated highlights though. A handful of other tracks also achieve this same kind of style, but nothing else is particularly good, they just come off more as mild and unremarkable rather than elegant or energetic.

Songs like "Hotellinainen" and the (arithmetically problematic) short track "2+2=5" are completely not prog. The former is a hard rock 'repeat-the-name-of-the-song-to-form-the-chorus' piece, and the latter sounds exactly like if The Kinks had sung in Finnish. That sort of music has it's place, but it is not in a prog rock collection. Looking at the English names of the songs (e.g. "The Hotel Woman") it also seems like this time it probably isn't worth searching for a translation of the lyrics. The vocals are pretty forgettable for the most part anyway.

What we are left with is a band where the ambition is mostly gone, and much of the music is not even that progressive. A lot of this is just verse/chorus/verse fare, with nothing to mark it out but the embellishments of flute, sax and occasional strings. The guitar has got very standard too. Being short is a saving grace of the album. It is often boring, but I wasn't bored to death, only because it is over very quickly. This is not a good compliment to be given. Perhaps this is not a tedious experience, but the album does not really stand up at all to repeated listens. Don't waste you time on "Iso Lintu".

With their second effort, Haikara move away somewhat from their first. There is a lot more fuzzy guitar, and passages that feel like extended jams. There are some good moments, but nothing quite as hard-hitting or dramatic as the best moments of their eponymous first album. There were also some personnel changes, most felt in the vocals. Out go the stronger male vocals (presumably of Vesa Lehtinen), but in come the floating female vocals of Auli Lattunen.

Lehtinen's powerful singing was one of the things I really liked about the first Haikara album (that and the blasting saxophone), and it gave the band more of it's own character, so this is a great loss. Vesa Lattunen handles the majority on his own, and doesn't do enough to retain this key feature. Consequently, songs like "Change" and "Kun Menet Tarpeeksi Kauas Tulevaisuuteen, Huomaat Olevasi Menneisyydessä" lack power.

"Change" (sung in English) sort of meanders in the same tone for a while. The sax is still effective, but there is less variance, less intensity, and the song feels like an extended semi-psychedelic jam at times, more an exercise in fuzz guitar than anything else. The same could be said of the first half of "Kun Menet Tarpeeksi Kauas Tulevaisuuteen, Huomaat Olevasi Menneisyydessä", another repetitive jazz-tinged jam that doesn't really go anywhere. About 5 minutes in though, we finally see some of the edge that made the debut great, the aggressive intent is there, and welcome, especially with respect to the guitar. This is followed by a couple of rather ethereal passage of female vocals accompanied by flute, the saxophone building well in between them.

In fact, the female vocals do add a significant new dimension to the music of Haikara, especially on "Kantaatti", a short, piano led number. Here, the haunting vocals truly float. Violin and flute come in later and make this a compact but beautiful number. They are also used to good effect on "Laulu Surullisesta Pilvestä" (where the soft male vocals are found lacking).

Probably "Geafar", the title track, will bring the most attention. Just shy of 14 minutes, it is Haikara's longest song to date. It breaks down into brooding or mellow quieter passages a lot, but the noisier passages just don't have the energy to make the contrast as effective as the debut. The overall structure is still very progressive and enjoyable though, and some of the parts are really good. As with the rest of the album, the guitar is often prominent, but isn't quite doing enough to earn that status (same with the male vocals). The strength of this track is definitely in the instrumental passages, some of which are really great. Overall the track is good, and I do like it, but at the same time it doesn't quite live up to the standard set by previous longer songs like "Yksi Maa & Yksi Kansa" or "Manala".

Most instruments do still get their time to shine, but it is sometimes done in a casual way, and often without enough drama or drive. "Geafar" is lot less aggressive, a lot less mellow, less sonically broad, and really a bit more middle of the road compared with "Haikara". Much like "Haikara", the album really gets going more in the second half, but "Change" is not nearly as fun as the first track off the first album. It's possible others might prefer this slightly more laid back and straightforward version of the group, but not me.

To me, this was a bit of a step down for individuality, but not a huge disappointment. There is still much to be enjoyed here. There are passages that are a bit of a drag, but nothing bad. In particular, "Kantaatti" and "Geafar" are the best offerings. This would probably be the logical next step for someone wanting more after having enjoyed the first album.

Impressive eponymous debut from Finnish proggers Haikara (which means 'Stork' in English). There are tones of Van Der Graaf Generator's "H To He, Who Am The Only One" at times, although maybe not quite so complex. Oh, and with Finnish vocals. You will have to read the excellent review by Eetu Pellonpää to get a clue about what the lyrics mean (assuming you don't speak Finnish), which I would recommend, because they actually seem very interesting. Certainly they are often sung with a good deal of conviction and emotion at times. If anything, the Finnish language adds a more unique character to the band (much as Italian vocals do in RPI), and improves the overall sound, so don't be put off if you are an English speaker like me. There is an eclectic range of influences present too, from the early 70s contemporaries like VDGG and King Crimson, to older classical influences. Multi-intrumentalist band-leader Vesa Lattunen notes in an interview that "We made the first album when I was playing in Lahti Symphony Orchestra. There I got to know all the great classical composers. Prokofiev's Romeo and Julia made a big impact on me but I think Sibelius was even stronger. So, I got the idea to combine these two kinds of music (classical and rock)".

We start with the odd one out of the group, "Köyhän Pojan Kerjäys" ("The Beggings Of A Poor Boy"). It is shorter, lighter, and more uptempo than the others. It has a vague feeling of a jig about it. Perhaps these are traditional Finnish influences, as there is a folky almost carnivalesque teetering of saxophone and organ in parts. Cheerful and enjoyable, with some fun little flourishes, and entertainingly sung, it's a good tune, but not the real meat of the album.

Next is "Luoja Kutsuu" ("The Lord Asks For You"), which gives us a taste of the more mellow side of this album. The vocals work well here, restrained to begin with, but breaking loose and growing angrier and more dramatic as the song gathers pace towards the finale. The tolling of a bell accentuates the more sombre sections. Very cool.

But it is the third song, "Yksi Maa & Yksi Kansa" ("One Land & One Nation") where Haikara really begin to show us what they are capable of. It starts with some mournful saxophone that really sets the tone well. The strings are great too, but the saxophone is what really sets this one apart. This is especially true towards the end, as the main theme blares out over the driving beat of the drums, whilst the often psychedelic (slightly Hendrixian) guitar, and a similar organ/keyboard, rumble below the surface. It always good to hear saxophone really blasting for a finale. The slower passages are melodic but also sad, and contrast very well with the more chaotic parts. Again the vocals are strong, and add a lot to the song.

"Jälleen On Meidän" ("It's Ours Again") then follows. It has a slightly jazzier feel to it, and lumbers along in a stop-start manner between excellent vocals and the instruments taking a lead for a while, with the saxophone often going off on it's own tangent before the song can start again. Guitar keeps busy in the background as support, and there are some quite catchy sections to it.

"Manala" ("Underworld") is a really good end to the album. The opening has the same sort of feeling to it as "Stairway To Heaven", but that all ends when saxophone and bass come thudding in, along with guitar. The whole thing kind of dissolves into a rather free sounding slow chaos, that swirls around before quietening down again, leaving only the march of the drums, creating a lot of tension. That's when the whole band explodes back into action, launched by the saxophone into a dark rumbling 7/8 riff, the saxophone eventually veering around wildly. The rest of the song is one of my favourite sections on the album, and ends on a questioning note, as if left incomplete.

To offer a criticism, occasionally the arrangements can seem a little sparse, or the overall sound seems like it could be filled out a bit more, but to be fair, this album did come out in only 1972, and overall is a very impressive record, especially as a debut. As I mentioned before, there are lots of different parts, some chaotic (but not entirely as mad as VDGG or KC), others darker more solemn moments of mellow tone. The songs "Yksi Maa & Yksi Kansa" and "Manala" are the obvious highlights, but all the material here is of a high standard.

Definitely compulsory to anyone wanting to explore 70s eclectic prog beyond the main players. "Haikara" is a highly enjoyable slice of prog, with it's own distinct personality. It certainly deserves more attention than it is currently getting.

[Edit: For those interested, an English translation of the lyrics is available linked in the forums]

Please give this stuff a listen if you haven't as this really does represent one of the great progressive groups of their time, and perhaps the best of the Finnish prog of its era.

I might add that these titles are becoming really tough to get (Syn-Phonic has the first two titles) so it may be now or never on these. I would love a remaster (although this first album is mastered quite well as it is) from our friends at Esoterica?

I have quit giving 5 stars to many albums, as I try and compare the particular release to my favorite's (Tull - TAAB, YES - CTTE) to see if they hold up to their 5 stars. In this case, with taking into consideration my not knowing their language, I still give this Haikara's first album 5 stars...it's really that good if you like your prog a bit quirky.

"Change" is like a protest song and check out the major fuzz to start. Male vocals and sax join in this uptempo track.The guitar, sax and vocals share taking the lead on this one. "Kun Menet Tarpeeksi..." is kind of jazzy with sax, drums and bass standing out. Male vocals join in around a minute. The guitar before 5 minutes eventually turns aggressive. It settles with female vocal melodies and flute. It kicks back in before it settles one last time to the end with those vocal melodies. "Kantaatti" opens with piano as female vocal melodies join in before a minute. Sounds like violin to follow.

"Laulu Surullisesta Pilvesta" opens with piano then what sounds like violin and flute. Female vocal melodies arrive after 3 minutes in this melancholic tune. "Geafar" is the almost 14 minute closer. It opens with dark piano lines as drums arrive after a minute. It kicks in before 2 minutes. Female vocals too.The sax is great as it comes and goes. Strings before 4 1/2 minutes followed by a Psychedelic vibe with fuzz. Nice.The guitar, bass and drums are outstanding. Sax leads 6 1/2 minutes in as the bass and drums continue. Piano only 9 minutes in followed by a calm with flute. It kicks back in after 11 minutes with fuzz, while the female vocals follow.

Barely 4 stars in my opinion but a worthy follow-up to their debut.

This fortunately didn't happen. However, if this song reminds me something, it is "Trout Mask Replica", which is my prog Nemesis number one. Except this, other tracks are quite different, following path of Eclectic prog (but not as much as KC, or VdGG), they simply remains mild and calmer during late minutes of this album, to the extent that they became something, undefinable, mellow keyboards driven thing that escapes definitions. Again. Some songs (variant on "some argue") sounds even like rock 'n' roll more than prog.

And everything is extremely rough, raw and sounds almost like demo. Not bad quality of sound, but of record instead. But at the same moment, there's beauty of flute passages with minimalistic sound (and almost lacking other instruments), reminding me old classic films from 40-50's. Very weird feeling, which I haven't had for a long time.

4(-) with skipping first song, or at least only to play it when I'm "in mood". Some songs, however, are extraordinary and are little bit "out", reaching high ratings and conceptions, while others are just nice fillers, with not so heavy weight. Unequal album.

''Koyhan poyan kerjays'' opens the album with a very pleasant atmosphere, like if THE BEATLES played supported by a brass section,a sound too far from what really follows.In ''Luoja kutsuu'',though the brass section is still present and strong,the atmosphere becomes darker and more psychedelic close to VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR,with a very slow tempo,flutes to the front and some strong guitar playing as well.In ''Yksi maa'' the transformation is fully completed.This is a superb track where obscure guitar chords meet with haunting flutes and pounding bass lines to result an awesome composition. ''Jalleen on meidan'' is the jazzier composition,where Lehtinen's crying voice is surrounded by smooth saxes,psych guitars and a nice middle/end section with jazzy references and excellent bass work by Vuorinen.The 12- min. ''Manala'' is the closest track in here and not by accident.The 3-min. calm vocal/flute intro is followed by the most complex part of ''Haikara'' with guitars and piano battling each other.Things have warmened up and then is when Pystynen enters delivering his most intricate performance on saxes,supported till the end by nice and dark vocal work,some weird organ sounds and Lattunen's fuzzy guitars.

''Haikara'' is a fine album for sure,though I don't think it can beat other Prog-Psych monsters like MARSUPILAMI or VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR.Yet it will reward every fan of this dark- sounding early 70's prog,who can't get enough of the style.

Haikara is their first eponymous album from 1972 and what I gather their most celebrated one as well. Anyway, this album is the only one I have. And what a great album it is! In parts their music reminds me of early King Crimson still not sounding a bit like them. Maybe it's the sax and the gloomy atmosphere.

I'm not going into song-by-song analysis except by saying that while Köyhän pojan kerjäys is a fun song, it sounds out of place on this album. I quite like it, but it breaks the flow of the otherwise very atmospheric album. The instrumentation and the arrangements are fantastic all around, and so are the vocals.

Another minor minus point must be given to the lyrics. While they are not cringeworthy, they are at parts quite bad with the "peace on earth, brotherhood and love to unite us all" kind of stuff. I do like the lyrics of Luoja kutsuu and Jälleen on meidän though. Especially the latter is kind of poetic.

So all in all, an excellent prog album from an obscure band, but definitely an excellent addition to anyone's music collection.