VAINAJALA

This album came out at the time I was still being good friends with my ex-girlfriend, a CMX fan who had succesfully made me like the band too, and so I became familiar with this album via her. Looking back, this is not among the CMX albums that still mean something to me. It has no catchy pop-oriented songwriting of Aura, nor progressive tendencies of the next (double) album Dinosaurus Stereophonicus; this is pure rock with heavy bass and drums. It was produced by Faith No More bassist Billy Gould and recorded in a cabin in Lapland, which maybe explains its trick-free, direct approah.

I don't mean this work wouldn't sound like a more or less typical CMX album. They are basically a hard rocking band, whatever other aspects I personally prefer in them. And no, this isn't radically different from their better albums, just with heavier arrangement and less of the softer side. There are fine and memorable moments here and there, distinctively CMX and not just any rock band. For the lyrics the headman, bassist-vocalist A. W. Yrjänä keeps diving into his usual land of poetic metaphors and Kalevala-inspired mythology. Many songs I almost like but then the chorus or something gets too heavy for my taste. But if you like CMX as a hard rocking band, you'll have no trouble with this album, strong in its style. 'Sillanrakentaja' (bridgemaker) and 'Vanha talvitie' (old winter road) are the highlights.