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Viima

Väistyy Mielen Yö

Review by Gary Hill

Viima always deliver strong music. Their sound lives somewhere between folk music and symphonic prog, at times encompassing both. In a lot of ways, I would say that The Flower Kings are the closest comparison, but there is more of an organic vibe to this music. It should be noted that all their lyrics are in Finnish, so if you want lyrics in English, you will be disappointed. Personally, I don't need to understand the lyrics to enjoy songs, and I enjoy all of this group's output. I actually think this might be my favorite album of theirs to date.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 1 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
Tyttö Trapetsilla
A cool folk prog arrangement gets us started here in acoustic ways. It drops a little, and the vocals join. This turns electrified later, and they really create quite a potent folk-leaning prog rocker.
Äiti Maan Lapset
At nearly 19 minutes of music, this is the epic of the set. It powers in with smoking hot, but melodic, progressive rock. After this rocking introduction, it drops to a mellower keyboard-based movement for the entrance of the vocals. After a time it works outward and upward from there. It still remains mellower than the opening movement, and quite melodic. There are hints of spacier sound in this section. A synthesizer solo segment enters for a time, but the track continues to expand and evolve. They make good use of contrast of harder rocking and mellower movements as it works forward. This is one of those piece that seems to keep reinventing itself. There is a cool electric guitar solo after the halfway mark that really grabs me, and the dramatic movement that follows has a lot of class with its prominent percussion and tasty keyboard sounds. I really dig the melodic movement later, too. That gives way to more of a dramatic building section that takes the track to the keyboard based outro.
Pitkät Jäähyväiset
A cool, almost trippy, introduction gets things underway here. The track works out from there to more of a melodic prog rocker. Some crunchy guitar around the halfway mark sets the tone for a cool instrumental section that has some spacey synthesizer work over the top of it. That really turns into quite a cool jam. It peaks and then drops back to a more mainstream prog movement.
Perhonen
Mellower, pretty keyboards get things underway here. That is the concept behind the first half of the song, although the track does evolve. A more rocking motif takes control beyond the halfway mark, and the vocals enter. This is a more potent and driving prog rock as it continues. This is another winner.
Vuoren Rauha
The sounds of wind are heard as this gets going. Piano rises up after a time, and vocals join from there, creating a balladic approach. That mode holds this until around the halfway mark. That said, some symphonic touches via synthesizer emerge on the track as it continues. Other instruments join, but the main musical premise remains in command, just augmented. That said, the vocals drop away before the middle of the song. That instrumental movement takes to just some background spoken voices and wind to end the track and the album.

 

  
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