FRESH FROM THE OVEN

The discussion around music between two friends from Helsinki, Finland, Tom Tamlander (vocals) and Axel Thesleff (keyboards), during the summer of 2010 led to the formation of this Finnish group.The following year they surrounded themselves with a competitive team, Jere Lehtomaa on guitars, Visa Kivisaari on drums and Lassi Nurminen on bass and the recordings of their debut album begun.''Fresh from the oven'' was digitally released in June 2012.

Octopie claim to have been influenced by bands such as Pink Floyd, Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull and present their ideas in three long tracks.''Rhymes of Love'' bastardized the first vibes of 70's Progressive Rock with the farewell sound of late-60's Psychedelic Rock and here the band sounds a lot like early PINK FLOYD and SOFT MACHINE with a touch of URIAH HEEP.Smooth guitar playing produces both narcotic and melodic lines, the vocals are pretty great and offer a nostalgic sound next to the calm electric guitars, while there is also some fair amount of electric piano in the process.The later part of this piece offers more energetic music with prominent use of organ and scratching riffs in a Heavy Rock mode.''Hubris Love'' kicks off with an excellent vintage-styled keyboard wave, full of synths, organ and Mellotrons to become a lyrical adventure of electric soundscapes with a slight jazzy edge in the guitar lines and Tamlander in his most theatrical performance.Nice arrangements with again a powerful atmosphere after the middle, which even includes some delicate flute sounds but basically being driven by a strong rhythm section and Lehtomaa's old-school guitar moves.The 11-min. ''Moths (Part 1)'' is a mix of Fusion and Psychedelic Rock, following mostly a hypnotic mood in the opening theme, based on the obscure synth workouts, before explosing into a psychedelic jam of guitars, bass, drums and organ and closing with a symphonic section, characterized by melodramatic vocals, Mellotron and acoustic guitars.

Very good debut, which gets a bit more dramatic than it should at times, but still manages to offer nice retro soundscapes in a slightly personal enviroment.Warmly recommended.