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FINNFOREST / LÄHTÓ MATKALLE

Finnforest

Jazz Rock/Fusion


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Finnforest Finnforest / Lähtó Matkalle album cover
3.87 | 30 ratings | 7 reviews | 23% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Boxset/Compilation, released in 1996

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Mikä yö (What a Night) (5:27)
2. Sanaton laulu (Song Without Words) (3:51)
3. Happea (Oxygen) (4:40)
4. Koin siipesi (I Felt Your Wings) (2:55)
5. Paikalliset tuulet (The Local Winds) (4:19)
6. Aallon vaihto (The Change of the Wave) (4:59)
7. Kunnes (Till) (4:39)
8. P.S. (1:44)
9. Alpha (8:16)
10. Elvin (8:38)
11. Don (4:24)
12. Lähtö matkalle 1 (Starting a Voyage) (8:43)
13. Lähtö Matkalle 2 (Starting a Voyage) (10:48)

Total Time 73:23

Line-up / Musicians

- Jarmo Hiekkala / basses (9-13)
- Jukka Linkola / keyboards (9-13)
- Pertti Pokki / synthesizers (10,11)
- Jukka Rissanen / keyboards (1-8)
- Jussi Tegelman / drums, congas, timpani, synthesizers
- Pekka Tegelman / guitars, basses

+ String section (12) conducted by Otto Donner

Releases information

CD The Laser's Edge LE 1025

Thanks to ProgLucky for the addition
and to projeKct for the last updates
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FINNFOREST Finnforest / Lähtó Matkalle ratings distribution


3.87
(30 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(23%)
23%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(53%)
53%
Good, but non-essential (23%)
23%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

FINNFOREST Finnforest / Lähtó Matkalle reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by loserboy
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Finland is known for giving birth to some fantastic progressive rock acts including WIGWAM, PEKKA POHJOLA and TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTI and oh yes. FINNFOREST. Although mostly forgotten this little known band may represent the very best to have ever come out of Norway IMHO. The Laser's Edge has carefully re-stored and has put their 2 earliest albums on 1 cd for all of us now to enjoy - "Finnforest" (1975) and their masterpiece "Lahto Matkalle" (1976). The self-titled debut features a slightly harder prog rock flare featuring some tremendously lively guitar/keyboard/drums interplay of Pekka Tegelman, Jukka Rissanen, and Jussi Tegelman. Hard to really peg down but I guess you could draw parallels to the music of FINCH, CAMEL and perhaps even CARAVAN. In contrast "Lahto Matkalle" delivers a different character harnessing more of a jazz-prog composition with the band more in a classic quartet formation. A wonderful string section is used on the side long title composition creating a sublime fusion of classical, progressive, and jazz. Toss in some of the heaviest fuzz-bass this side of MAGMA and you have a mature, unique recording that is amongst my favs. A Wonderfully complex recording which you need to own.

Review by Mellotron Storm
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is FINNFOREST'S first two releases on one cd. I prefer the first self titled record more than the follow-up. The guitar is really emphasized on the debut, while on the second they have added two more keyboards and an extra fuzz bass. Also a string section participates on the second release, the sound may be fuller but it's the guitar playing that pleases these ears. I would describe the style as jazzy, and maybe little light for my tastes, but still an enjoyable listen. This is a pretty good way to go though as you get two albums for the price of one.
Review by Finnforest
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars The band that got me stoked for prog again

Ahhh, Finnforest. The reason I am here. I chose them as my username here because this is the band that rekindled my dormant love of progressive music. After surviving primarily on alt, classic, and punk for the last few years, someone slipped me a copy of Finnforest. From the first blissful notes of Mika Yo (What a night), I knew I was falling in love all over again. I started playing prog again and here I am.

Finnforest is an excellent instrumental prog fusion band from the 70s European scene and they are Finland's greatest gift for my ears. Their first two albums Finnforest and Lahto Matkalle have been lovingly released on one CD making for 73 minutes of wonderful and accessible fusion. Finnforest music is difficult for me to describe. Crisp drumming, outstanding virtuoso guitar solos, and nice but non imposing keyboard work. The songs cover a wide range of moods from the more wistful and weeping to very spirited and glowing. The jamming is tight and fans of great guitar and percussion will have to wipe their chin from drooling after hearing some of these passages.

Their second album ratchets up the sound with additional musicians and is considered more sophisticated and ambitious. Lahto Matkalle (Starting a Voyage) lives up to the title in its grand spirit. The songs are much longer. "Alpha" gives us some jazzy interplay between keys and bass. "Elvin" starts out slow and brooding before the keys and guitar explode reminding me of Lotus a little. The two part title track clocks in at over 19 minutes and is the grand finale. Starting with some strings the piece develops into a wide palate of sonic voyage with all members going for the kill.

Some prefer one album to the other. For me, they compliment each other so well that the combined CD has the effect of just being one long album. The first album is definitely more guitar oriented, perhaps more "fun", but I like them both. I take them as the whole. I think their music would appeal to folks who liked guitar rock and fusion but prefer a bit on the melodic side. Please read Slipperman's review of the first self-titled (individual) release at this site. He has an excellent description of the band's sound.

Review by Matti
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars This is an instrumental fusion band from the seventies. It has a certain Finnish (and forestral?) nature, like e.g. Pekka Pohjola's music too. The composer is the guitarist Pekka Tegelman (who later wrote and played for singer Liisa Tavi among others, by the way). The sound is rather mellow, besides electric guitar the keyboards are in the key role. I'm not expert in these things but I guess Minimoog is behind the nocturnal sound heard especially in the beautiful opener 'Mikä yö'/ 'What a night'. I can imagine how perfectly flute would fit into Finnforest's music, making it more comparable to CAMEL.

This CD includes the two main albums; the debut (1975) is very short so that really makes sense. Sadly no retrospective information is given. I may like a couple of debut's tracks the best, even if Lähtö Matkalle (1976) is more progressive with longer compositions. The keyboardist had changed and some other new players arrived for the second album - another reason for sounding a bit different. I think I should like Finnforest more than I do; somehow however it often remains a bit lame music to my ears. There could be more either intensity or melodic beauty than there is. Anyway, there are some listeners even abroad who are very charmed by this band; if you want to hear some vintage Finnish fusion this is surely worth checking out.

PS: 'Koin siipesi' (I felt your wings) has a little wordplay, it means also 'your moth wings'. Many titles refer to nature, suitably.

Review by Sean Trane
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Prog Folk
4 stars In the mid-90's, the excellent Ken Golden, founder of the Laser's Edge label, found time and money to reissue some of Finland's best (but then-sadly forgotten) group, Finnforest, by releasing their first two albums on a single disc. According to a few Scandic prog experts, the sound was dramatically improved.

The only two possible critics that I could have against this release, is that it ignores the band's third album, released after the band's reformation in 78, and that has yet to find a CD reissue (at least to my knowledge), while the second objection is that it doesn't feature one of the album's respective original artwork (parachute and lonely trees), but replaces it with typically Finnish taiga picture. Outside these minor recriminations, this is a splendid indispensable release that every Scandinavian JR/F lovers must own.

Latest members reviews

4 stars Fusion influenced prog with definitive hints at Jukka Tolonen's guitar style (and maybe some sounds a bit like later Tavasallan Presidentti). But the 'noodling' from all players is kept in control and within tasteful boundaries. Also some of Terje Rypdal's atmosphere creeps in from time to ti ... (read more)

Report this review (#36820) | Posted by | Friday, June 17, 2005 | Review Permanlink

4 stars Quite interesting package of their albuns from 75 and 76. The music is outstanding, with nice melodies, lots of virtuosity and a fusionesque sound. Elegance on all themes and similarities with Finch, Focus or even some Camel. Excellent! ... (read more)

Report this review (#30589) | Posted by Melos | Wednesday, March 16, 2005 | Review Permanlink

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