ZUMANTHUM

I have to confess to knowing nothing about this band until I stumbled across them on this website. Released in 2002, Zumanthum appears to be this Finnish band's only album to date, but it does indicate that Overhead have significant potential.

The opening 20 minute track "Beginning to end" is a superb piece of traditional prog rock. Loads of time changes, excellent guitar, and keyboards which range from basic soloing to the creation of lush orchestral textures. The vocals are the only weak point really, they just don't sound right for the music. They sound almost pop like, with hints of the Bee Gees, well sung, but not quite right.

There are five tracks in total, the remaining four include the laid back instrumental "Wasteland", and the harder 14 minute title track. The latter has a great final section called "In the wind", which has rather a strange ending. It just stops in mid flow, similar to the way "I want you" by the Beatles does on Abbey Road, effective but rather unsatisfactory.

There are more than passing similarities with the music of Yes at times, I was especially reminded of the "Big Generator" album. There are also "Flower Kings" influences, but the band must be credited with a great deal of originality, and indeed potential.

At the time of writing the entire album, along with several other tracks, is available for free download via the band's website, a link to which is on the band's page on this website.

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