HYÖNTEISIÄ VOI RAKASTAA

I've to say thanks to Jimbo once again for providing the debut by this excellent Finnish band to me as well. This album (BTW the title means something like "One might love insects") is probably less suitable as a starting point, since it's more introverted and a wee more difficult to get into than its successor, but its quality is as top notch as the one of Huono Parturo.

The opener Örn starts almost like a pop song from the 80's but after the first few odd bars the listener realizes soon what he's listening to that is highly inventive and humoristic Avant Prog music. Raskaana is a very weird mix of blues and chanson played with extremely odd-timed rhythms. Third song Hämärän joutomaa is the first highlight of the album, excellent and very beautiful slightly Fripp-ish guitar combined with the great voice of Topi Lehtipuu. After about five minutes of a rather slow rhythm the band is breaking out into a more furious up-tempo playing. The short Pannuhuoneesta even intensifies this speed almost in a punk-ish vein before the tempo is slowing down again with Luottamus, which is actually a very nice more melancholic song, of course not without some strange weird effects in between.We have some awesome guitar and violin playing in this one! Kaivoonkatsoja is certainly the second highlight with an incredible interplay between guitar and violin. Beautiful, heavy and mind-bending at the same time! Kosto starts with melancholic pastoral vocals and violin, then suddenly a break and the music becomes really aggressive, Topi Lehtipuu presents some operatic vocals before an awesome interplay of violin and bass is starting. There are that many mood shifts in this song, really another impressing one! Hätä continues quite furiously again with an excellent guitar and violin playing and many sudden rhythm shifts. Another mind-blowing highlight! Myrskynmusiikkia is starting as well in a quite heavy vein before it slows down to a rather thoughtful mood and vocals are setting in. Then a short section of weird and furious violin, guitar and bass playing combined with aggressive vocals. For sure another highlight with incredibly frequent mood shifts. The album closes with Hyönteiset in a more cheerful, crazy and funny way, as well a very good song with many changes and amazing moments. After some silence there is still a very chaotic and cacophonic finish.

SUMMARY

HÖYRY-KONE's debut is not as full of humour as their second album and it takes a couple of spins to fall in love with it but then it's more and more enjoyable with each repeated listening. It contains quite a lot of highlights, especially the second half is full of them and not inferior at all to their masterpiece "Huono Parturi". I really like the band Alamaailman Vasarat since quite a while, but since I listened to their original band I can't decide anymore which one I like more. They are both just awesome, maybe HÖYRY- KONE even a bit more adventurous and exciting. I can't resist to rate this one as well with the full score, although I'm usually careful with giving five stars. But both albums by this great band are just masterpieces in prog!