KAARMELAUTAKUNTA

I have to go against the grain on this one (shocking, I know) and try to explain why you should spend your hard earned money elsewhere. I know you have found this band by the nearly unanimous glowing reviews all over the Web. It's amazing. Doing some research I have checked all over the place and every prog reviewer from here to Saturn thinks this album is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Since it's likely that makes me delusional I may as well proceed with my dissent as briefly as I can.

AV's unique Finnish acoustic chamber jazz-metal sound is very interesting at first and I can understand the excitement this generates. The best spin I ever had with this album was the first and it goes down hill with each subsequent play. The gimmick of the unusual sound approach is enticing initially but I have found that the interest is not sustained over the long run. I actually find that the highly repetitive and quirky melodies get downright annoying the more I listen. These songs are far more effective as soundtrack to the cute videos the band has at their website. But as a progressive music album in my collection I do not see this as a compelling selection.

"Kivitetty Saatana" starts the album with perhaps the most annoying melody, dragging and repetitive and predictable beginning to end. Same with "Vasaraasialainen" which begins with a bouncy little jig that repeats and repeats. To its credit, this song does have a little breather in the middle for some solo cello before the nightmarish main melody returns. "Pelko Antaa Siivet" is one of the good songs, where they nix the silly formula for an honest and thoughtful display of their fine instrumental abilities. The track exudes a feeling of loneliness and confinement that plays right to the fine cover art. If the album were more like this song we'd be in better shape. "Hamarapuolella" begins and ends with another irritating repetition but features some nice playing in between. At one point they manage a noise that you would swear is a distorted electric guitar, very cool considering there is no guitar present. "Astiatehdas" attempts an acoustic speed metal of sorts that is cool the first time and painfully boring by the fifth time. "Vanha Lapsuudenystava" starts promising with a nice piano/cello exploration but falls into the same repetition and gets annoyingly faster and denser towards the end which just detracts so much-I'm not sure why they insist on this approach. To sound hip or edgy? "Olisimme" is another mess. "Lentava Mato" is a super fast chamber jam that amounts to little. "Jaa, Hyva Mieli" is one final exercise in tedium with yet another heavy consistent chug through most of it and nothing memorable to cut through it.

The dominant feel of the music is one of playful mischievousness and certainly this can be a good thing sometimes. Here I feel that we have some talented guys who are relying on this fashionable sound they have birthed and they just play it to death. I think they have potential to try something more thoughtful and less cute down the road. I can't recommend this album to anyone I'm afraid. But keep in mind that the other 7 billion people on the planet love this so you'd best not take my word for it.