THE GIANT HOGWEED ORCHESTRA

I know it's kind of an odd coincedence but this is the third Psychedelic / Spacerock band i've reviewed this past week or so that utilize a lot of flute. THE GIANT HOGWEED ORCHESTRA are on the mellow side of the ledger creating spacey soundscapes with mostly guitars and flute. Although percussion, drums, trumpet, bass, piano, moog and even didgeridoo make an appearance on this their only album so far.

"Arabia" is a short intro track consisting of gently played acoustic guitar. Now that we are warmed up we are ready for "Spirals". It starts slowly with spacey sounds with no real melody until 3 minutes in when a very pleasant, laid back melody of light drums and flute arrive. The sound becomes more aggressive and fuller later in the song.

"Terastulli" is a heavier song with some nice piano early and some enjoyable drumming 4 minutes in. Great raw guitar solo 5 minutes in followed by some trumpet as the song slows right down. It kicks back in before 8 minutes and pounding drums end the ride. "Pelham" has a Post-Rock feel to the guitar as flute and light drums come in. "Halogen" is the longest track. The first section is mellow with light drums, flute and guitar melodies. It changes with more of a beat after 11 minutes. A prolonged moog solo is for me annoying. The latter part of the song is so relaxed until it gets a jump start after 18 minutes. "Exit" is an appropriate concluding song title and it features a lot of gentle flute melodies.

3.5 stars. A good record that didn't click with me like a lot of other Psychedelic bands have been lately. A good record anyway.

Not content with the exceptional musical achievements of Groovector, Finland has unleashed another gem. This epic yet unknown album has all the hallmarks and the merits of a true prog monument. With Groovector bassist Teemu Niemala lending a hand on Moog, this crew of dual guitars (meshing the acoustic and electric spendidly), sparse but effective keyboards, liberal dosage of savvy flute escapades, all held down by a steady yet busy rythm section deliver a wicked groove throughout. From the gentle acoutic intro "Arabia", hinting at sultry horizons, as we segue directly into masterpiece number One, the spellbinding "Spirals", you just know this is going to cook, feeling the vibe oozing into your mind.The dual guitar attack weave a potent brew, interacting in a loose, very bluesy, almost vintage Floydian expanse, stretching emotive simplicity to various paroxysms of aural delight. This piece in particular will tantalize fans of Gong"s "Isle of Everywhere", with a similar spacy extended workout. The next two tracks just keep the fire burning until we hit the next milestone : the 19 minute "Halogen" . Laying down a majestic tapestry of jazzy, bucolic and brooding soudscapes, adorned with percussive frills, delicate slivers of flute and powered by guitar scratches blending with the main riff, this piece just builds into a very cool, quite laidback yet intense groove, never letting go as the volume and the lusher symphonics grow in stature, peaking with the change of pace- demonic Moog solo. In terms of comparison, perhaps Focus during the 3 album period comes to mind in a less frantic, chillier environment. (They are Finns after all!). A most definite winner , out of leftfield possibly, but that"s what makes the chase so exhilarating when you land on a recording that sparkles unexpectedly your sensors. Please do not miss out on this exquisite piece of music. 5 phasers