Sammal - Sammal (2013)

Seguiremos esta semana con las maravillosas joyas finlandesas, especialmente dedicado a nuestra Princesa Vicky. El sonido de la banda es una maravillosa combinación de los clásicos setenteros del progresivo, con líricas en finlandés y un sonido un tanto más ecléctico "moderno" (si es que se puede aplicar el término moderno a un disco tan vintage como éste). Muy en la onda de Kalevala, Elonkorjuu o Tasavallan Presidentti, buenísimo primer trabajo que ahora les invito a conocer, y que seguramente sorprenderá a más de uno, porque algunas de sus canciones podrían ser verdaderos clásicos si hubiesen sido creados en el pasado, y verdaderamente pueden ser futuros clásicos en los días que están por venir.

Artista: Sammal

Álbum: Sammal
Año: 2013
Género: Rock psicodélico
Duración: 44:20
Nacionalidad: Finlandia

Lista de Temas:
01. Puolikuu
02. Esox Lucius
03. Janiksen Vuoksi
04. Kaikki Kortit
05. Naennaiskaannainen
06. Lehtipuiden Alle
07. Jokainen Pysykoon Uskossaan
08. Veneenrakentaja
09. Kylmaa Usvaa

Alineación:
- Jan-Eric Kiviniemi / Vocals, Percussion
- Jura Salmi / Guitar (1-8), Organ (9)
- Juhani Laine / Organ (1-8), Guitar (9)
- Lasse Ilano / Bass
- Tuomas Karivaara / Drums

Paisajes sonoros cálidos, en una recreación de la Finlandia de 1972, con letras cantadas en su lengua nativa, esencial para una experiencia auténtica. Muy en línea con bandas del pasado como Kalevala, Elonkorjuu o Tasavallan Presidentti, pero hecho en la actualidad, y con el agregado de un poco de blues y algo de hard rock. Retro prog setentero caído del cielo, eso es Sammal.

Es fue el álbum debut de la banda, disco homónimo con un montón de referencias a la buena vieja finlandesa de rock progresivo. Con un equilibrio entre los sonidos más ligeros y los más pesados embutidos en prog tradicional, de muy buena calidad y que adelanta su siguiente disco del año pasado. Grabado, por cuestiones aconómicas, de manera muy casera pero con mucha dignidad y poniendo toda la carne en el asador, cosa que recuerda mucho a los discos de este tipo de estilo grabados en nuestro suelo. Pero su origen humilde no fue una barrera para que tanto público como crítica recibieran al disco con excelentes críticas.

Les dejo ahora algunos comentarios de terceros, y les recomiendo que no se pierdan este trabajo.

Finns Sammal deal in an incredibly easy to listen to brand of laid back prog rock, all sung in their native tongue, harking back to the psychedelic days of yore when music was less fragmented and compartmentalized than it is now. Anything goes, with their freewheeling style allowing them to simply follow their noses and go wherever their finger dictate.
That’s not to say Sammal is an unstructured mess; every song is recognisably that, though Anglophile ears will miss having the odd vocal hook to hang onto, but at the end of the day, when the band stretches out on Kaikki kortit, a bluesy, psychedelic jam that brings to mind Deep Purple at their most playful, it really doesn’t matter what language you’re talking – this is the good stuff, and no mistake.
Young metalheads will appreciate the shadows of Mikael Akerfeldt and Tony Iommi that lurk in the background of Näennäiskäännännäinen, a slow, brooding guitar/organ workout which builds nicely without ever erupting, and the Hammond gets another good outing on the Uriah Heepish Lehtipuiden alle, a heavy, dark number that riffs its way to a conclusion very nicely indeed. Jokainen pysyköön uskossaan rides a wave of melancholy assisted by some wonderfully cascading guitar work, whilst Veneenrakentaja approaches things from a completely different angle, sounding like something the Rolling Stones might have toyed with in the late sixties before blossoming into a full-on exposition of seventies riffage.
It’s easy to see Sammal fitting onto a bill with the likes of Swedes Graveyard, though this music is not going to appeal to the average metalhead more interested in blasts and breakdowns; not metal by any sense of the term, the high levels of musicianship and instrumental tightness still guarantee that parts of Sammal are indeed heavy as fuck, and this album comes highly recommended for all more progressively-minded fans of good music.

Scott Adams

I first heard Sammal via their second album Myrskyvaroitus. My review there can easily be transported here. It's the re-creation of Finland 1972, complete with lyrics sung in the native tongue, which is essential for the authentic experience. Perhaps a bit more blues based than the followup, but very much in line with bands from the past like Kalevala, Elonkorjuu, and Tasavallan Presidentti. Retro prog heaven.

ashratom

If there is one place in the world, which fully deseves to light the flame of old Heavy/Psych Rock, this should be Scandinavia.Finnish Sammal is among those bands, a Turku-based project from the early millenium years, started by singer Janu Kiviniemi and guitarist Jura Salmi and taking full shape in 2007 with the additions of Tuomas Karivaara (drums), Lasse Ilano (bass) and Juhani Laine (organ).Their debut was finished already since 2011, but released only a couple of years later on Svart Records, a delay that has much to do with the limited financial sources of the members.Prime influences include the usual suspects: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, but with the definite Scandinavian flavor coming out of the native vocals and the creation of melancholic and depressive soundscapes among the storm of doomy guitar riffs and irritating Hammond organ.I can certainly hear some Kebnekaise vibes in here with a slightly jazzy and folky background in the keyboard and guitar parts with the band comfortably switching from bombastic, old-fahioned rhythms to more tricky, measured performances.File next to Agusa, Walrus or Kaukasus.And do not even wonder if the vinyl is the basic issue here.

apps79

Very nice indeed! Stoner rock with progressive elements. Extremely well played and sung (in Finnish). The language is definitely NOT a problem as far as I'm concerned. I just hate it when singers have terrible pronunciation problems. Very cool music.

anglagard05

The music on this album is really mindblowing, ranging from hard rock, having some progressive ingredients as well as some slight heavy metal and also a bit of psychedelia here and there. What bothers me, even being from Finland and understanding the language, is actually the usage of Finnish. Somehow the music is very much top notch, but the vocals in Finnish just kill it for me. And no, I don't hate good music with Finnish language vocals in general, but this somehow just didn't work. On the other hand the lyrics were quite interesting, and themes suited what you hear. I'd say 4.5 for the music, but since the language ruins it I'll lower it a bit.

oh6gdx

https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/sammal/sammal.p/
http://www.sammalmusic.com
http://sammal.bandcamp.com/album/sammal