GLORY OF THE INNER FORCE

If spastic, hyper, jazzy, intense instrumental progressive rock is your thing, Finch delivers. There's plenty to absorb without the distraction of a vocalist (where would a vocalist possibly find a good pocket to sing in here?), the music being busy and kinetic through each of the 4 long songs.

What separates Finch from some other instrumental combos in the prog/jazzrock/fusion realm is the solidity of their arrangements. Nothing sounds improvised or off-the-cuff. Where bands like National Health, Kenso and Happy The Man seem to come from an improvisational background, Finch delivers solid structures at every turn. Myriad parts are layered on top of each other, constantly shifting mood from one bar to the next, all of it sounding "written" rather than "jammed". Joop Van Nimwegen's guitar solos are fired off with a certain electricity that must've been improvised to some degree, but his sense of structure and timing make for some extremely memorable moments. His style is like Steve Howe (the melody) meets John McLaughlin (the speed). The Rickenbacker of Peter Vink grumbles and does some nice acrobatic turns ("Paradoxical Moods"), while the keyboards and drums color the tunes further with their nimble, fusion-esque intensity. The entire ensemble is like early Camel on a gritty acid excursion, maintaining a cool control while teetering on the brink of collapse. Their most energetic and raw excursion. A top-notch work of transcendental prog-rock indulgence.