Band:
Johanna "Jonsu" Salomaa – vocals, violin, guitars, keyboards
Heini – bass guitar, backing vocals
Sirkku – keyboards, clarinet, backing vocals
Jenny – guitars, backing vocals
Laura – drums
Discography:
Ikuinen virta (2004)
Tuuliset tienoot (2005)
Kadonnut puutarha (2007)
Valoissa (2008)
Pahinta tänään: Kokoelma (2009)
Guests:
Info
Mixed by Mark Schettler
Produced by Indica and Roland Spremberg
Released 25/6-2010
Reviewed 15/6-2010
Indica is a Finnish band who have reached great success in their home country with lots of top ten hits and really well selling albums. However, all these albums were all sung in the Finnish language which may account for the fact that I had not really heard about the band before and particularly not heard any of their music before. Now they have been signed by Nuclear Blast and are set to release their first album in the English language, a collection of their greatest songs translated into the English language. Something that of course can be a problem but the translations are okay and the vocal parts does not sound strange in any way so I don’t think the translation has been any issue for this band.
Musically they are playing hardrock/metal with lots of classical influences with violins and pianos and so on in that way. And true to the style of music the record has a very clean, almost polished production which does not detract from the musical style. Did I say that they are an all female band? Well, now I did anyway.
That the band are very big in their home nation can surely not be in question especially not when you learn that there is a 21 meter banner hanging on a building in central Helsinki, the capital of Finland to promote their new album.
This record did not really catch me immediately, because at first I thought it felt a bit bland, sure the fast tracks catch the interest at once. These are tracks like Precious Dark, Straight & Arrow as well as Scissor, Paper, Rock which are the easiest ones to take in. Still these tracks have more to them than meats the ear at first, there are several layers that you keep discovering for each time you listen to the record. A track that grows on you are Children of Frost as well as the one I previously mentioned In Passing. The latter is probably the best one on the track by a very narrow margin, it comes in there just before Precious Dark.
This is certainly the best record of the year by quite some margin really even if the other record I reviewed today held the crown before and is quite close but not really near anyway. With those amazing tracks and especially the layout of the record which of course means the order in which the songs are arranged makes it a record that is as close to perfect as it is possible to be, maybe.
Now remember this name, Indica, you will most certainly hear about them in the future. This is a truly fantastic record that lasts for a long long time and it gives you a way away from the boring darkness of everyday life, at least for a while, the while the record lasts.
I really enjoy this record, every time I play this record the world feels a little less dark, a little less boring and a little less meaningless, thanks for that Indica. Now all that remains is to find out how the band sounds in their native tongue. Pure brilliance!
HHHHHHH
