TABULA RASA

This is one of the best Finnish prog albums and among my earliest favourites of the genre. Others have compared it to Camel and Focus, and I agree, but I add that Focus never composed as good and exciting prog songs (it's the flute that makes the comparison). Not a masterpiece, though. Some of the 8 tracks are mediocre, but I like very much 'Gryf', 'Vuorellaistuja' and 'Prinssi'. You can sense some kind of spiritual level on lyrics and music as well, but that's not a fault. Jukka Leppilampi's tender voice suits OK to the softer side of Tabula Rasa but worse in more rocking numbers.

The album as a whole is played very well but highlights are quite few. From a progressive point of view the best is 'Vuorellaistuja' (= Sitter on a mountain) with a delicious faster instrumental section, where the flute really shines. 'Prinssi' (= Prince) is the most calm and melancholic little ending piece.

Tabula Rasa's second and last album is less interesting... (PS. Heikki Silvennoinen is nowadays better known from a TV-sketch series Kummeli, but he's a great guitarist, and also the main composer here.)

Edited years later: I look at some of my early PA reviews with ashamed feelings, and I want to remind you that I often wrote them in haste even without fresh listenings of the album in question, only equipped with more or less distant memories instead.

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