GLORY OF THE INNER FORCE

I was just completely blown away by this album! I heard comparisons to FOCUS so I had to get this album. Well, guitarist Joop van Nimwegen sure got his Jan Akkerman chops down, but in my opinion, plays faster. The band was rounded out by keyboardist Cleem Determeijer, drummer Beer Klaase, and bassist Peter Vink. The opening cut, "Register Magister" just blew me away, with those intense riff and inspired compositions. "Paradoxical Moods" starts off a bit PINK FLOYD/FOCUS-like but eventually the band gets jamming and Cleem Determeijer starts wanking his organ. "Pisces" and "A Bridge to Alice" might not be as intense as the first two, but they are still amazing piece. Also of interest is this was the only FINCH album to feature Mellotron. I own the American vinyl copy released on the Atco label (in Holland, it was released on the Negram label), with the same basic cover, but different color clouds in the background (blue, rather than orange).

I quickly snatched FINCH's following two albums, both have great material, but don't quite match the raw intensity of this album. Without a doubt, the album you must start with if you're not familiar with FINCH.