ALAMAAILMAN VASARAT

I just heard the sad news regarding the passing of Alamaailman Vasarat's Jarno Sarkula at the age of 47. He was the saxophone player (alto and tenor) for the band who's name translates to "hammers of the underworld" in English.

I am not typically a huge fan of RIO or avant garde music but can appreciate it when it is done well. Even in a genre where musicians strive to be original Alamaailman Vasarat strike me as being a pretty unique band. They are all instrumental with saxophone, trombone, keyboards(including pump organ and grand piano), cellos and drums.

My personal story with the band began in 2003 when they played the fifth edition of the North East Art Rock Festival(or Nearfest for short). I didn't really know much about them but did see them mentioned online about a year or two prior to their appearance at Nearfest. I thought they were good and unique and liked how they were able to get an almost heavy metal sound with no guitars. Instead the distorted cellos provide the metal element. I wound up talking to some of the members outside and also inside the venue where most of them(including Jarno)autographed my copy of their first album.

This is probably the kind of album you have to listen to more than once to appreciate. It works as both background music and music you can pay closer attention to. While there isn't necessarily a whole lot of variation in sound there are some tracks which are more light and mellow and then others which are more energetic and typically feature the use of distorted cellos. If one didn't know any better they could easily be fooled into thinking they were guitars. In fact this band could maybe even be considered heavy metal klezmer music if such a thing existed and if it doesn't well I suppose this band are the first to do such a thing.

Needless to say, Alamaailman Vasarat were one of the more interesting bands of Nearfest that year(along with Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Magma). As such this is a worthy album for those who don't mind stepping outside of the box of normal prog from time to time. If you are already a fan of RIO and Avant but don't know this band then you should definitely check them out.

Alamaailman Vasarat ( = Hammers of the Underworld) is an instrumental descendant of the 90's legendary Finnish RIO group HÖYRY-KONE, which featured the internationally established tenor Topi Lehtipuu as their vocalist. The strange, loonie music of AV is well described here by much more advanced listeners of RIO/Avant Prog than me. In fact I'm now listening to this band for the first time. I know some of you don't give much value to first impressions, but you're free to ignore my review; there are better ones on this and other albums by this band, I guarantee.

The instrumentation is very unconventional: a couple of cellos (or is the plural form celli?), piano, pump organ, melodica, trombone, slide trumpet, saxes and other wind instruments, and percussion. No guitars, not even bass guitar, nor synths. This is like an idiot bastard son of Klezmer (the Zappa pun intended). The tempo is often high and the atmosphere circus-like, but that's not the whole story. There are a lot of odd time signatures, and the dynamics between instruments are variating heavily even within tracks. To me it's exactly those slower, less frenzy moments approaching chamber music that save this music from being an exhausting listening experience; when the brass is silenced and perhaps the grand piano takes the attention.

In addition to Klezmer, circus/ revue music and chamber music, this brave mix includes also elements of heavy rock and jazz. Track titles, as well as the music itself, are filled with humorous aspect. Of newer Finnish artists I have met similar spirit in the two albums of UTOPIANISTI (which is more clearly in the Fusion genre). Translation attempts wouldn't do any justice to titles with witty wordplay such as 'Katkorapu' or 'Kyyhylly'. The latter would literally mean a viper shelf, but it naturally is a twist from kuuhullu, moonstruck.

I can't (yet) evaluate this album against AV's other output, but it's obvious that if you're good friends with hilariously crazy instrumental stuff drawing influence from several genres, ALAMAAILMAN VASARAT is worth checking out.

Everything a grown man needs + tuba

Saxophones, clarinets, tuba, trombone, brass, pump organ, grand piano, cello, theremin, drums and assorted percussion devices. Now with an instrumental line up like that, you'd probably expect Alamaailman Vasarat to sound like a full on chamber rock group with the obvious nods to Univers Zero and early Art Zoyd. That is not the case however. Not even slightly!

Zravkapt(Darryl) already did a brilliant job reviewing this thing, and if you find my ramblings too zorro- jellybean-blackbag-sweaters, then I urge you to click on the red cover art on your right and read his take on the album.

This album moves from genre to genre and from country to country. I get some wonderfully mad desperado dashes emanating from the reed sections - mimicking a furious bull-run from the ancient streets of Pamplona. Sometimes the Spanish Inquisition slows down and literally transforms before your ears - now infinitely more passionate and sensuous - taking on the shape of a delirious and sweaty tango. Then you have the folk elements of the group, although on this release, Valta simply meaning power, they are squeezed in way down in the back, only colouring certain phrasings within the songs with a jolly and carefree expression. More than anything, I am reminded of Samla Mammas Manna - and that is just about the biggest compliment coming from this Dane. I adore the jumpy, almost symphonic piano Lucky Luke dressings some of these tracks take on. That sounds rather preposterous, but if you've ever heard an album like Måltid - you'll probably know what I'm on about; marvellous stints of sound that grow proportionally in size with umph and grandeur - preferably on top of a circus themed rocker.

........aaaaaaaand we're nowhere near the end of influences and different layers of this album. A most prominent feature of Valta, is the early Police-Sting-white boy-reggae-ska flavour - the thing that makes your head bob and your feet stomp in odd metered rhythms - until you finally look completely bizarre walking like a real life Goofy in the same spot without getting anywhere. There's no guitar though, which makes all of this all the more confusing. The cellos and reeds go through some kind of alterations and wind up sounding like a robust circus version of The Wailers. Speaking of circus, some of these tracks take me directly into the round hay covered arena - with galloping horses in their finest outfits elegantly swooping round and around in endless neighing circles. It's the same sort of feel I get from the reeds - that almost burial cortege feel, albeit in a fun and uplifting manner.

Lastly we find a strong metal element - taking me back to my teen years with Metallica and Maiden. Big gritty hard hitting riffs launching the music into altogether new territories, where the funky ska beats suddenly get interchanged for a wild head-banging affair. Complimenting the already eclectic behaviour of the group, the music now feels more potent and raw - adding to the overall picture that ever so fleeting ingredient of dynamics.

This is not a difficult album to get into by any stretch of the imagination, and if you're new to the avant world, Valta could very well serve as your first taste of music that presumes the worst about it's listeners: that we're mad and strangely put together - without a chance in hell of spotting a melody, even if it came attached to the peacock flavoured lollipops of our daily breakfast. Get in there people - I promise you something completely different than what you think you're going to get...

This band was formed by former members of the Finnish avant-rock group Hoyry-Kone. Unlike that band these guys are purely instrumental and not as electric or electronic. This is their latest album and only full album I have heard from them. I pre-ordered my copy and am still waiting for it weeks later; supposedly it has not reached North America yet. Thanks to the Progstreaming website I was able to do this review and notice this album in the first place. Having not heard a full album, I had still heard many songs by this group. From what I have read this isn't too much of a departure from what they have done previously, and if anything is more concise and accessible to what they were doing before.

I'm not a Finnish speaker so I like to call these guys 'Allah Mailman Vasarat'. The name means "hammers of the underworld" and would be a great name for a metal band. Oddly enough, some of this band's music sounds like metal...without a guitar! They use instruments such as sax, tuba and cello put through effects units to make them sound like distorted guitars. Their music is sometimes compared to klezmer, which the bandmembers claim they have no knowledge of. Instead they call their music "fictional folk music". You can detect influences from Eastern European folk music and Latin American music as well as metal. The music can be light and easy-going or more intense and metallic sounding. Some of the songs are more 'folk' sounding while others have more of a 'rock' feel.

AV have been around for 15 years but the only thing that has really changed is that they have a new drummer. The drumming never really stands out but the music would sound a lot different without it; less 'rock' sounding anyway. "Hajakas" is one of the more interesting tracks. It changes a bit but has a nice flow from section to section. Some of the best melodies on the album, the main one being some kind of klezmer-punk. "Norsuvaljakko" is a highlight. I like how the drummer flawlessly switches from a disco beat to a more swinging rock beat and back. The cello(?) here sounds like a monster. One of my favourite parts of the album is towards the end of "Haudankantaja" with some trumpet or trombone playing that sounds like it came from out of some old Western movie.

"Uurnilla" sounds different from the rest of the album. A very somber and moody chamber piece. Almost sounds like music from the pre-WW2 era. Another difference is the prominence of piano here. In contrast to the previous song, "Hirmuhallinto" is the most metal sounding on the album. Love the sludge metal riff here. You hear sounds of water drops as the music dies down slowly. Great way to close the album. If you have an appetite for classical-metal-klezmer-folk-rock this may be for you. Valta means "power" in Finnish and this album has some powerful music on it. Great sound, well played music full of great melodies and rhythms. 4 stars.

Univers Zero goes Klezmer and trash metal simultaneously, or RIO is undead. Welcome to Alamaailman Vasarat, or the "Underworld of the Hammers".

The only one negative thing about the Hammers' latest masterpiece "Huuro Kolkko" is that it is a little short with it's 39 minutes. But it rocks! And it does that - this time - without any kind of a guitar. Now, that's an achievement! These Finnish virtuoso's do it, using a fancy collection of string and wind instruments, including two cello's, Tubax and Theremin. Now, what on Underworld are those last two things? Tubax is a "truly rare beauty", a special contrabass saxophone. This is what you will find on Wikipedia about it: "a modified saxophone, developed in 1999 by the German instrument maker Benedikt Eppelsheim." It seems to be a result of crossbreeding between tuba and sax, hence the name. Heil to this German musical botanist! Tubax is a real fun; it is huge and makes very, very low sounds. I guess, it's quite hard to play on that underworldly thing. According to the band, the instrument was made by Eppelsheim especially for Jarno "Stakula" Sarkula, the band's leader and composer of the most music. And Theremin... You know, the first synthesizer, invented by the Russian Professor Theremin in 1920s? Anyway, you play it by moving your hand between two antennas.

"Huuro Kolkko" is a concept album named after an until now unknown Finnish explorer of the begin of the 20th century. Read the whole story on their site, very amusing. In short, one night Kolkko is inspired by a strange vision, undertakes an expedition, finds an unknown continent and stumbles upon some mind breaking phenomenon there, which results in his madness. And that is a pity: now he is not able to tell anybody about his discovery.

The album starts with a stunning, hallucinatory opener, "Mielisaurus" ("Mindsaurus"). I couldn't write a better description of the song, than one the band did themselves. It "can be described as a shining example of "Hammerbilly" music style, starts with cellos and pump organ, followed by Tubax ? and enters the verse with tenors and trombone. Don't miss out the haunting Theremin in the calm section before the end." What can I say more? Listen to it, you will be blown away.

All other songs on the album are highly imaginair composed, fantastically played and arranged with an unbelievable density and enthusiasm. You will hear a thousand beautiful tunes, music styles and moods, all according to the story of course. Once more, on vasarat.com you will find notes and explanations to every song. No need to repeat it all here. Read it, you will see the film called "Huuro Kolkko" before your eyes, and surely smile more than once. The guys definitely have a sense of humour, which you will also find in the music itself by the way?

Alamaailman Vasarat was founded in 1997 by Sarkula and drummer Teemu Hänninen. "Jarno had just bought a soprano sax - a reason enough to start a new band!"? This is their fifth album. Their earlier efforts didn't went unmentioned as well. They received Finnish Teosto prize in 2005 for their collaboration album "Kinaporin Kalifaatti" (with singer Tuomari Nurmio). They have done theatre and film music, among others for an animated movie Elukka ("The Animal"), which has got an award for the best music score at French film festival Premiers Plans in 2006. They played on many festivals, including world music and progressive rock festivals. Among them are Músicas do Mundo (Portugal), Stranger Than Paranoia (Netherlands), TFF Rudolstadt (Germany), Urkult Folk (Sweden), Pit Inn (Japan), NEARfest (USA), etc.

Let me give you this one piece of advice: if you like Univers Zero and Henry Cow, or you are an open minded music lover, looking for something really new - buy this album, and all the rest, you will not regret it. I myself regret only one thing: that I discovered the band only now, ergo I deprived myself of a huge pleasure during the last 10 years. At least 5 stars here, please!

A long-awaited DVD release, and even if their project with Tuomari Nurinio came with a DVD, it was relatively unrepresentative of their normal group concert stuff, which I'd seen live in the early part of the 00's. Although the band has largely remained the same since their debut, their stage presence has gradually grown to an impressive acting-through- music tirade. Much of the stage show is assured by the two front-hornmen, but the two cellist provided much of their very specific and unique sound, sometimes transforming into two double-bassist, at others providing amazing and eerie ambient sounds, while keyboardist Huttunen switches from piano to pump organ to melodica (also pumped-up), the bandspeaker Stakula blows into an impressive array of seldom-seen wind instrument like giant bassoon or mega-baritone sax or Haukalla playing soussaphone and tuba.

The first show featured on this DVD is a recent (09) Dubrovnik show, filmed with limited means, but giving an honest opinion of their stage capacities, but the burlesque is not as present as if in the hall itself. Actually six (of seven) filmed sets on this DVD are fairly recent (07 onwards), none of them have received a modern totally-professional treatment, either in the filming or in the production. While the Klezmer-Gypsy-Manouche feel is still very much present, their live sets take on a slightly groovy & jazzier feel than the studio soundscape they created through their five albums so far. I have a slight preference for the November 07 Helsinki show. The shorter filmed set are found in one section and include one Mexico and one Copenhagen set excerpt, both shot from a single "rear of the hall" camera, while the Tokyo show seemed to have at least one more, but sonically speaking the lesser means are also felt. Of much greater interest is the September 03 Helsinki show, where Stakula hadn't yet developed his Yiddish wooden troll image yet. And then band had a thicker or meatier (but less subtle) sound and a more restrained stage act.

Having seen the band fairly early in their beginnings, I have seen them very recently in the '11 RIO Fest of Carmaux, and their shows has tremendously progressed in terms of pure entertainment with the two hornmen putting a fantastic Barnum-esque show full of humour, which captivated the crowd and had them dancing of tapping something all set long, and this include yours truly. Indeed the deep-from-the-woods beardy-troll (with an understandable Yiddish touch, given the Klezmer roots of the music) physique of saxman Stakula and the scary aggressive Viking-looking (with his extra-long hair) trombonist Erno Haukala and his amazing juggling of his instrument provided an extraordinary front stage, framed by the two cellist, who provided added entertainment, despite remaining seated.

Anyway, the whole content of the DVD lasts over a whopping five hours, which includes some anime soundtracks (interesting), a few (21-mins's worth) video-clips (not bad), a short making-of documentary (in Finnish), but you'll have a hard time watching it all in less than three seatings/viewings, and that's provided you don't get drunk too quick on their enthralling but bombarding music (after all they are called the Hammers Of Hell), and there are many overlapping or repeat tracks from one show to the next. Unfortunately, I find that most of the footings included don't translate in full the lunacy of their live shows, and most notably the absence f the fun antagonism between the two frontmen, yelling at each other through their instruments, disputing the centre spot. While there are some passages that still retain the almost death-metal cellos of yesteryears and the band filming themselves through webcams fixed on their instruments or the always-neat propensity of Stakulla playing two instrument at once, but not in parallel (like Rashaan), but in series (one through the other). A very competent introduction to AV's astounding musical quagmire, this DVD will be more than you can handle for months on end.

What a band!This band is a great example of what it is progressive.Their music is a blend of metal,punk and oriental music.Specifically they use persian scales.They don't use rock orchestration.They play with classical instruments.But also they have saxophone,accordion,trombones e.t.c.That's the amazing thing about Alamaailman vasarat.They're the metal-oriental version of Apocalytica.I am very impressed with this band!I'm very satisfied that there are such great bands like this.The music of the album and generally the music of the band will remind you Slayer,Goran Bregovic and Apocalyptica.So,you understand for what experimentation I'm talking about.I review this album first because is the one that I've heard most.Also their music is very appropriate to be a soundtrack in a movie about America of 50's.

My favorite tracks are:Mielisaurus,Meressa ei asuta,Luonto tuli lahelle(reggae-jazz with Goran Bregovic),Tujuhuju(oriental thrash metal)and Omalla ajalla(smooth jazz)

I recommend it to everyone who appreciates good and special music.A music gem!

My grade:8,5/10

Really nice Finnish band's album! Reeds,strings,distorted organ,grand piano and percussion play hot mix of Balkan/Gypsy folk and chamber music!

I listened tones of Balkan tunes (in original versions) few years, and even there are not too big difference in melodies and single songs, very energetic and hot dance-able rhythms and high emotional level always catch me every time I just hear first hordes. Another thing, that there are few tricks in musicianship, and you will hardly find something new after you heard dozen of songs.

Using of Balkan/Gypsy folklore as component in more complex music is old trick, and theer are many original Balkan jazz bands using it. Some last years such move became more popular between some Nordic bands. AA is one of them, and possibly one between best known.

Great thing is Balkan folk element doesn't dominate there in their music, and chamber rock (with zeihlish flavor in a moments) is great another ingredient to make the sound well balanced. As a result, Balkanika doesn't sound there as somewhere in the Guča pipes fest in Eastern Serbia, and strings/reeds are not such dry and cold as often.

The only thing I missed there is better compositions - musical components and musicianship level are both great, but compositions are often too faceless and remind Balkan/chamber jamming. Still easy accessible and pleasant to listen album, not too essential though.

The second Alamaailman Vasarat album diversifies their style a bit. Their core business is still jagged gypsy folk with a punk-energy shot, but the intensity and tempos vary a bit more then on the debut. Strangely enough, the variation doesn't remove the impression that this band remains a one-trick stop.

The great thing about the album, and this type of Kletzmer folk music in general, is how immediate and catchy it is. Alamaailman Vasarat adds a (very) light RIO avant-garde touch to the music, adding some dissonance, sonic experimentations, interesting harmonic arrangements and of course their 'saxophone-metal' trick as evident on the sweeping Astiatehdas and the heavy Jaa, Hyva Mieli, which are, due to the more original approach, the two highlights of the album. But generally I find their music less dynamic and adventurous then the original world music that they were inspired by.

On top of that, Alamaailman Vasarat also let go of an essential feature of this type of music, namely heartfelt intensity. A few vivacious moments not withstanding, this music bears none of the passion and emotional turmoil that usually defines Kletzmer music. I only have to play a couple of minutes from a Turkish artist like Selim Sesler to hear how cold and calculated Käärmelautakunta sounds.

A nice listen but there's little to discover behind the pleasant façade, not from a musical perspective, nor emotionally. Hardly 3 stars.

Vasaraasia is the debut of Alamaailan Vasarat, a Finnish band with a fine mix of kletzmer-styled RIO with dots of 'metal'. This could potentially turn into a kind of a gimmick, and it kind of does. But I believe the material and musicianship remains strong and varied enough to support continued listening pleasure.

The band really fires through all sorts of instrumental polka and gypsy tunes, they add some jazz, a hint of avant-rock, and something that sounds like heavy metal guitars. Not too much, not even in every song, but where applied it gives this already very dynamic music another boost of energy. Surprisingly, the heavy sound is created with cellos and low-key trombone, but it sure sounds like distorted electric guitar to me.

The closest bands to compare them with would be Von Zamla, or Zorn's Masada injected with a shot of punk energy and aggression. Also the Norwegian polka-indie-rock of Kaizer's Orchestra comes to mind, be it that that band has vocals, use electrical guitars and are generally much better songwriters.

Alamaailan Vasarat's debut makes for an interesting listen where kletzmer folk music meets the energy of rock, a very alluring combination of sadness and vitality, perfect for my taste. With a keen eye for good hooks and the high level musicianship they've kept me engaged for the entire 51 minutes of this album. A great find. 3.5 stars