SUBSPACE RADIO

The RUSH influenced Finnish heavy prog band Subspace Radio made two albums, the eponymous debut (2004) and Random Ticket (2007) before collapsing in 2010. Now they're back, and this time the vocals are sung by featuring guests, not by anyone in the group. A bit strangely the album title (aika means time) is in Finnish although all lyrics are in English.

'Suite Subspace' is a dynamic prog instrumental and functions very well as the opener. 'Last Call' turns out to be rather heavy-sounding song featuring the strong vocals of Annica Milán. A new name to me, she's had some success in various vocal contests in Finland and has worked in musicals. Not exactly a voice up to my taste. She returns for the fourth track 'Everything' which also contains heavy, metallic guitar sounds. The keyboards on the album give the music both needed brightness and a certain prog metal feel.

Kimmo Blom (b. 1970), rock vocalist whose CV includes playing Freddie Mercury's role in Queen musicals, is featured on 'The Day of the Brightest Colors' and 'Radio Silence', both pretty convincing heavy prog songs. In general the Rush influences -- especially the 80's Rush -- have decreased and the band has stepped more boldly into the prog metal territory. To me personally that's not so good. Have to say this album is way too heavy and restlessly powerful for my liking. This becomes most clear on two tracks with the very metal oriented vocals of Timo Heinonen.

The progressive highlight is the instrumental three-part final piece 'Exit (Purola)' (12:28) in which Leo Kylätasku guests on trumpet. Again, I'd prefer it to be less heavy. But if you enjoy well produced hybrid of tight prog rock and prog metal, this powerful album is worth recommending.

It's the thick, loud guitar playing that dominates the sound, but every now and then you hear also more delicate guitar sounds reminiscent of Marillion. Keyboards tend to have taken the back seat (again comparable to the later-day RUSH) which is a shame: with more solos by various instruments the music would appear more interesting. All in all, their direction is good. Considering the Heavy Prog subgenre (not my cup of coffee), I found surprisingly lot to enjoy here. But I realized after listening to this that I'd rather listen to RUSH themselves. The vocalist doesn't stand out from the crowd as Geddy Lee surely does!

If you should name a band which influence can be heard it would be Rush. And that can be heard in the fact that the songs are a bit monotonous and that arrangements are such that all play all the time. It becomes a bit boring and exhausting. But if you like songs with sustaining soundspaces and steady rhythms this just might be music for you. With the critics I don't mean that this is a bad album. No, not at all. Not only is this good, this would be a good addition to any prog collection. Therefore I give it 3½ and round it upwords.