KAHDEN KUUN SIRPIT

This sounds quite different than their more folky debut with another line-up including a female vocalist. But I'm happy to find out this is not a disappointment at all, even if the vocals (by Hannu Hiltula who also plays sax and flute) are not any special. Emotion comes primarily from the music, and Hannu's commonplace baritone vocals do fit in very well. Lyrically this album is a clear improvement over the rather naiive debut, partly thanks to using poetry of respected classic Finnish poets Uuno Kailas and Aaro Hellaakoski (from early 20th century) on two first tracks. The long epic sharing the album's title is written by the drummer Mikko Väärälä (I hope I'm getting these details right out of my memory!) and its lyrics seemed quite fine though I don't memorize anything of them now. Anyway, the emphasis all the way is on the music, not vocals, rather the same way as with CAMEL, one of the bands VIIMA is repeatedly compared with.

This music full of soaring melancholic melodies in very progressive compositions (but where complexity never gets self-poignant), is almost guaranteed to please the friends of the classic 70's prog from England or Scandinavia. Finnish comparisons could be TABULA RASA and NOVA, but especially Swedish KAIPA's debut from 1975 came to my mind. The sound - both instruments and vocals - is quite similar, and why not the atmosphere too. All these comparisons don't mean VIIMA would merely circulate vintage prog sounds. And so what if they did, they do it excellently, without copying any band in particular. Yes, this music really could date from the seventies, and in my opinion this is a good thing these times, when too many prog bands get heavier. I hope this group stays around. (A definite 4½ stars if there was such an option!)