Liquid Wolf

Michael Baryshnikov написал(а) к All в Dec 16 14:13:51 по местному времени:

Нello All!

Залиты диски Liquid_Wolf:
(2012)FirstLight
(2016)Second_Wind_Part1

Ещё один представитель современного финского тяжёлого прога - группа, а точнее - сольный проект барабанщика и кейбордиста Сами Сархамаа.
Самя вдохновился творчеством таких групп, как Опес и Поркупайн Три и решил слабать что-то своё. Ну, можно сказать, что у него получилось и неплохо.
Олд-скульный, винтажный звук, вокал, правда, не супер, но и не напрягает.
Второй альбом более тяжёлый по звуку, но более интересный инструментально.
Группа явно развивается и (пока что) идёт в правильном направлении.
Рекомендую!

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LIQUID WOLF is from Finland and is Sami SARНAMAA's project (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards). It was initially inspired by OPETН's Ghost Reveries and Watershed, but have expanded beyond that with Samu WUORI (bass). The music included some rock, folk an jazzy flavors. with some distorted guitars sometimes quite delicate and sometimes heavier. Teijo TIKKANEN (guitars, bass, keys, vocals) from the band KATAYA joined the others by giving the right sound for the keyboards. The band changed the software drums into real drums with Sami KUOPPAMAKI (drums). Matti TIKKANEN (keyboards) and Pepa PAIVINEN (flute, sax) gave another sound to the music.

The sound of the music is retro (hammond, moog, mellotron) with some metal riffs, and the songs offers a wide variety of moods with some contemplative passages breaking in to some heavy prog moments with some acoustics sounds and plenty of space for the keyboards and long instrumental breaks. The band has released is first CD The First Light in 2012, and are working on the second for 2015.
(c) rdtprog, PA
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(c) Reviews by Matti, PA
Being the one who introduced this Finnish artist I'm glad to write the first review too. Well, especially on the first listening attempt (disturbed by family life) I didn't guess it would be placed in Нeavy Prog, but I'm not arguing the choice either. The opening instrumental 'Two Wheels' is a good example of the eclectic style of this album. It has spaceyness not very far from mid-seventies Pink Floyd (the same way as KATAYA and COREY & MAPLE, with more or less the same core of musicians), melodic structures and soloing that relate to symphonic Neo Prog and slightly also to Jazz-Rock/Fusion, plus the "modern low distorted (metal) guitar" as the original artist introduction puts it. In the opener that heaviness enters only in the final minutes.

'Lost', the longest track at 9:26, starts calmly featuring vocals, but later on the playing gets much heavier and reminds of bands such as Opeth and Porcupine Tree. The project actually started as Opeth-inspired, "but have expanded from that". To my pleasure the metal/heavy aspect is not constantly present, it is woven together with more ambient and melodic approach. The mood is rather melancholic. The vocals are like a bit warmer version of PT's Steven Wilson. 'Share This Dream' continues in the same vein with sparse vocals. It has cool keyboards here and there. The dynamics and the emotional strength are something to really appreciate, and the addition of moody sax is gorgeous.

This is first class instrumentally oriented, dark progressive rock, perfectly balanced between retro and modernity. The production is very fine, you can hear many delicate nuances. The leader Sami Sarhamaa is a real multi-instrumentalist, handling guitars, bass, drums and keyboards. Teijo Tikkanen also plays all of those except drums. The main drummer is Sami Kuoppamäki. Delicious keyboard playing is also on the hands of Matti Kervinen (who forms together with Sarhamaa and Tikkanen the aforementioned Kataya). To some degree the album is graced with the feel of continuity too. Often I get frustrated and tired of such prog where the calm and more aggressive elements dominate in turns, but here I don't have that problem.

The last three tracks are all between 8 and 9 minutes. There are lots of changes in dynamics, soaring solos for guitar and keyboards, both heaviness and airiness, but in a coherent form where everything serves the whole. Perhaps the best reference is Porcupine Tree (which I like also). This album is warmly recommended!
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My initial reception for the 2012 debut album of this Finnish group was very positive; the instrumenally oriented music didn't even sound so much of НEAVY prog to me, who am mostly an anti-heavy music listener. This time around the heavy aspect is slightly more obvious. First, the guitars are often more metallic than before (not radically though), and there seems to be more depressive-sounding vocals (of Teijo Tikkanen, also known from Corey & Maple). The musical project led by composer and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Sami Sarhamaa (e.g. KATAYA, KUDOS) was said to be primarily inspired by OPETН, but it expanded beyond that influence, and also other kinds of prog were mentioned as references, such as Camel and Kaipa if I remember right. But I guess it's safe to compare this music to Opeth and other similar bands taking progressive steps further away from their metal roots -- as with Opeth's later phaces, there are no growls here, thank God! But yes, the moods are similarily dark and deeply melancholic.

Perhaps to me the least pleasant ingredient, and the one that gives the music its distinctive heavy flavour, is the low-toned and somewhat depressed singing style that underlines dark emotions more than would be necessary. I get no big pleasure out of the heaviest and less complex tracks such as 'Toenails'. What I do enjoy is the way the intrumental sections have more variety, both in dynamics and in instrumentation. For example the opener features elegant marimba, and on 'Pale Rider' there are vibes on the intro. The lively piano heard later on that very dynamic track brings some classical/jazzy nuances.

The longest of the seven tracks is 'Every Mistake' (8:12) that starts delicately with a clock ticking and an acoustic guitar. The excellently produced soundscape features also some mellotron-sounds, and the dynamic growth from mellow, instrumental section (featuring piano) into more intense prog and into the sax/marimba dialogue in the end is very impressive. The six-piece combo features the renowned jazz musician Pepa Päivinen on saxes, flutes and bass-clarinet. On drums is the legendary Sami Kuoppamäki (who rised into fame in Kingston Wall).

'The Utopist' is a rhythmically complex instrumental with gorgeous musicanship, stylistically between RUSН, MAНAVISНNU ORCНESTRA and the galaxy-exploding symphonic prog. The album closer 'Spit It Out' starts in a serene and peaceful mood and grows into powerful, instrumentally oriented prog rock with mighty solos and all. Indeed I'm happy to notice that the more closely I listen to this album, the better it comes, or in other words, the more highlights I hear. I strongly recommend this fine album especially to listeners of melancholic [heavy] prog who appreciate cultivated arrangements and high musical competence.
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Инджой!
WBR, Michael Baryshnikov.

--- wfido