VASARAASIA

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