FINNFOREST

Finnforest is a fusion / symphonic prog group from Finland that recorded its debut with the twin brothers Pekka Tegelman (guitars) and Jussi Tegelman (drums) at the age of seventeen! Love records had high hopes for this group and gave them two weeks of recording time in one of Scandinavia's best studio's. After a week they called back to the label; they we're already finished with both the recording and the mixing of the album. What a story.

Though the band has some of these fast paced fusion freak compositions (think of Mahavishnu), it also has symphonic prog leanings that reminds me of early Camel (mostly 'Mirage' en 'Snow Goose' era) with an added flavor of that nordic atmospheric coldness. The organs and synths used by keyboardist Jukka Risasanen produce some of the most iconic and atmospheric sounds of the seventies. Finnforest's debut also reminds me slightly of the more jazzed-up compositions of Focus, much like on their Ship of Memories album (which I really like!). The guitar of Pekka Tegelman has this fierce expressive sound that reminds me of Akkerman as well.

World-wide almost every country had one or more fusion-prog groups in the seventies (Leb I Sol, Blue Effect, Cai, Sloche, Nucleus, Tolonen, Finch, etc), and most of them have some very competent instrumentalists. What makes such a group interest for progressive rock listeners is the mainly the melodic potency, the atmosphere and the personality of the performances. Or the ability to write an instrumental song that functions as such. Finnforest debut stands out as particularly grasping, spot on and fierce. Like they are able to really get you to listen with the first two chords. The well-recorded vintage Camel-type magical sound also helps a lot.

My only complaint then would be that most compositions are rather underdeveloped, not often developing beyond its two or three main themes. The short tracks and running time of 32 minutes do actually make the album quite enjoyable for me, for that's precisely how much prog-fusion I'm willing to enjoy on a day. Actually, I might just skip back to side A after finishing side B - or so I noticed.

For such an unlikely yet well-recorded gem of Finnish progressive music I'm willing to give away a minor masterpiece rating. Highly recommended to listeners of the bands mentioned above.