DAI KAHT II

Even though my personal relationship with the Zeuhl genre isn't very warm (I once attended Magma' terribly overcrowded gig in Helsinki and didn't much enjoy it), I feel peculiar sympathy towards my countrymen Dai Kaht for their own fearless two-album journey to the Kobaian universe. The band from the small north-east Finnish town Kajaani is led by the composing bassist and lead vocalist Atte Kemppainen.

The debut album (recorded in 2016, released in 2017) was a quartet work with no keyboards featured, the relatively short, tight tracks basically pretty close to guitar-heavy psychedelic space rock. For this 61-minute Dai Kaht II (recorded in 2018) the line-up was expanded by the keyboards and sound fx man Roope Pelkonen, who had recorded the debut. In addition, Kemppainen handles several instruments, and the choir personmel has four more members (from both sexes).

The number of tracks is again eight, but most of them averagely longer than on the debut. The compositions have more twists and turns, and there are much more instrumental sections where the Magma imitation (that concerns the vocals in particular, and they are often painfully martial) becomes less obvious. One can occasionally sense some Yes-like symphonic prog. Due to the keyboards the general sound is also richer. This album indeed has more epic feel, and with the help of the English subtitles one can try and form some kind of a storyline full of battle, despair and moments of relief.

The longest and perhaps the best piece 'Moa Orgata (Eye of God)' contains also English lyrics, and the album ends with a shorter mixed-language song that is part sort of down to earth, part cathartic with some Yes feeling. Don't know how the puritan Zeuhl fans take this, eh, tribute if you like, but I consider it a well done artistic success.

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