HORROS

Just as expected. "Horros" was released as the third full-length album by a Finnish post-rock commune VIRTA. Already their musical talent was explosively blossomed just as their second album "Hurmos" launched in 2016 and we 'VIRTAnians' have looked forward to their next gem for about 7 years. Our expectations have risen up when their new single "Turmoli" was out in early 2023 (please refer to my humble review of the single), and finally in the autumn of the same year, our dream came true. Like some authentic Finnish post-rock combos, they greatly mix psychedelic basements with dark, inorganic electronic aromas and sorta sharp-edged (but heartwarming) anarchism. The previous opus is produced with a perfect blend of sounds, so it's natural for us to get driven mad by their latest one. The first air bomb "Aelita" tells us all mentioned above.

Quite appropriate for the prologue of this album is "Aelita", that features electronic quietness, complicated percussive rhythm innovations, solemn echoic chorus, and smooth enthusiastic saxophone solos. The instrumental combinations always call majestic surrealistic landscapes through our inner mind. The very last depressive sound vaporization is also dreamy. In "Tunneli" fantastic and addictive is every dissonant guitar-oriented sound miracle as well. Simple but energetic constructions of melody lines, and psychic mindful atmospheres are vivid and vivacious too. The following "Sola" reminds us of some similar veins to oriental tribalism via saxophone and percussion sounds. Electronicity beneath the song, enough for their own style, makes us feel something immersive to their experimentalism. Such an experimental creativity can be heard through the fourth track "Millennium" consisting of speedy rhythmical percussion attacks and saxophone-based passions. Pretty interesting are spoken words like 'an announcement in a Japanese train' in the middle part. The melody lines are not only complex nor fickle but also delicate and comfortable.

Another flowering, birds chirping and children laughing. In "Toukokuu" (May in English) lots of sound effects are effective around percussive enjoyments and talkative electric guitar playings. A short but fruitful one really. And guess they would say the blue sky is pretty deep and bright, and especially good for our overworked eyes in the next "Sininen". Repetitive melodic baselines express the magnificent blue sky is enormous and limitless all over. Without any breathing, "Tuuli Nousee" blows cool clean winds along with fresh keyboard streams, strictly precise but mysteriously humane percussion taps, melty guitar kisses, and slightly blunt saxophone tips. Sound faintness in the last scene is mystic too. On the other hand, "Karhu" is another mystery. Just like a pop candy, it makes our mouth sweet and happy. Such catchy, acceptable phrases in the former part of "Karhu", unsuitable for their musical style, can be heard via e.g. Japanese traditional folk music or so, but the middle occasion explodes massive postrock kicks. The epilogue "Aamu", that gets started with psychedelic repetitive phrases like Tubular Bells, should demonstrate true, serious values combined with vague electronicity, lingering chorus and synthesizer sounds, dramatic percussion, and totally crossover sound motivations.

Again let me say, bravo just as expected. Why cannot we call this kinda "appassionato"?