Just recently I reviewed an album by three ladies, that being the debut album by Pistol Annies, “Hell on heels”, so it seems only fair that we now attend to the gender imbalance, and look at an album recorded by three guys. But where to find such a thing?
Stars aligned --- Von Hertzen Brothers --- 2011 (Dynasty)
Ah, Finland! Land of, well, hmm. Land of … kind of hard to think of
anything Finland is well-known for really. Kind of unfair really. Norway has the burgeoning black and viking metal scene, plus of course a-ha to their credit, Sweden is known for among other things ABBA, Denmark for various heavy metal bands, but when you think of Finland, little if anything comes to mind. But these guys aim to change all of that.
I've read a lot about the Von Hertzens in prog circles, and they seem to be getting a lot of attention from people who would normally dismiss the idea of three brothers who look like they should be on American Idol (or Finland's version, I guess, which I suppose would be Finnish Idol: doesn't quite have the same ring, does it? The Finn Factor? Nah. But I digress...) and would have nothing to do with their music. So if they're interested, so am I.
The three brothers, Kie, Mikko and Jonne, have all played in various bands which are no doubt well-known in their home country, but whose names mean nothing to me, but it is clear that they haven't just risen up out of the crowd overnight. These guys have cut their musical teeth in a way many youngsters these days neither understand nor want to do. They have released three albums prior to this, their fourth (you're keeping up! Very good...) which seems to be the one likely to break them commercially outside the confines of Scandinavia.
The album opens with “Miracle”, which starts with nice harmony vocals which are then joined by powerful guitar. Both Kie and Mikko play guitar and sing (though the latter is credited with vocals before guitar, so one would assume that he is the main vocalist) and their brother Jonne plays bass. And sings. The band is rounded out by Mikko Kaakkuriniemi on drums and Juha Kuoppala on keyboards. The opener is interesting, powerful AOR influences melding with some pretty good prog rock, and there's no faulting the singing --- well, with three of them you would expect that to be up to code, wouldn't you?
“Gloria” is faster, with some nice bass lines and again great vocal harmonies. More progressive than AOR this time, quite heavy in places, with definite elements of earlyYes in the workouts and jams. “Voices in our heads” is one of the longer songs, just short of seven minutes, and with a kind of new-wave vibe to the melody, one of the guys --- presumably, using my logic above, Mikko --- takes the vocal solo and it's clear that although it sounds really great when the three sing together, he doesn't rely on them nor does he drag his feet when it comes to the old pipes. He can certainly sing, is what I'm saying.
Von Hertzen, according to their website, means “from the heart”, and that's certainly how they approach their music. It all seems very personal, very intimate and there's not really an idea of their desperately trying to write a hit single. Their music is quite accessible on one level, but as “Voices in our heads” proves, it can be very involved and kind of off the beaten track, so to speak, and probably would not always appeal to the average record buyer, so on the strength of the tracks so far, though I've enjoyed them, I don't see them breaking out into the mainstream anytime soon.
The backing vocal on “Voices” is very innovative: almost a chant, and it works very well against the music. Of course, when the guys join their voices together they're a potent force, as they do as the song winds towards its close. Very effective. “Angel's eyes” has a very Zeppelin-like guitar riff, with a vocal line more remiscent again of Yes at their height. The overall feel from this song is of eastern influences, the sort of thing you might hear from Dio or indeed Zep, but not ripping them off in any way. Assuming the title would have raised expectations that this would have been a ballad, even a love song, it's quite refreshing that it's nothing of the sort. A hard rock cruncher with some pretty nifty guitar work.
My only complaint at this point would be that the Von Hertzens seem to have fallen into the trap encountered, indeed created by many of the older seventies prog rock bands --- and still practiced, some would say, by the new breed: Dream Theater, I'm looking at you! --- of engaging in convoluted and intricate instrumental breaks for no other reason than to show off their expertise on said instrument. It happens here, after a particularly quiet vocal section, and it's jarring, unexpected and it just sort of ruins the song.
A lovely little introspective guitar piece introduces what looks to be the first slow track, the relaxing “Down by the sea”, a short track mostly carried it seems on single guitar chords. Compared to the frenetic activity seen in “Angel's eyes” just now, it's a welcome relief and a joy to listen to. Some more really nice vocal harmonies near the end just add to the beauty of this fragile little song, and the Von Hertzen on guitar --- let's assume it's Kie --- knows just how to keep it to a minimum: no out-of-place solos, no showing off, just a simple guitar melody to accompany Mikko's singing.
“Bring out the snakes” opens with some sort of weird exchange between what sounds like someone on one side of a transmitter who wants a button pushed, an argument ensues behind synth and drums, then what sounds like classical guitar starts up and Mikko begins singing. It's a strange opening, and a little off-putting. Maybe it's from a movie, or something I'm not familiar with, but I'm definitely left with a feeling of “wtf?” and while my brain is still trying to work out what all
that was about, I'm missing the song!
Now if
this reminds me of anything, it's Frankie Goes To Hollywood's “Two tribes”. Just for a few moments, till let's say Kie's guitar cuts in, heavy and angry, and the synth soars as the drums pound, the song taking another left turn, with shouted chorus. Well, this will never get on the radio --- way too many “f-bombs”! Yeah, just a little too much going on all at once here for me, way too confusing to even review this track. Sorry.
“Repeat mode” opens like a Tom Waits song, with horns and sax, then turns into a mid-paced rock tune, quite commercial, but I'm still having trouble with the way the Von Hertzens jump from style to style within the same song; it's disorienting and it's beginning to get on my nerves, which is a pity as there's a lot to like about this album. It's almost like the guys are trying to make it hard to like them, or get into their music. “Always been right” starts out with what sounds like banjo, and settles into a kind of Big Country style.
Closer “I believe” is classic Queen, opening with organ and vocal harmonies, stopping, then slowly coming to life for the longest track on the album, at just over eight minutes. It goes deep into prog-rock territory, changing as it goes along, mostly fast and uptempo but with pauses and instrumental breaks along the way. The problem is that by now I've lost interest. The initial enthusiasm I had to hear this bold new band who dared to mix such styles has long evaporated, probably about the time “Bring out the snakes” assaulted my senses. Now, I'm sad to admit that I'm relieved it's over.
It might get better on subsequent listens; problem is, I don't feel disposed towards giving it more chances. Although not every album will hit you first time, I generally believe that if I like something it's going to make an impression first time round. There may be --- and are --- exceptions to this rule of course (cue my story of how I initially hated Phil Collins' debut), but by and large I can usually form an opinion of the band and/or album on first listen, and the impression I'm left with here is not good.
Confused/ confusing. Over-complicated. Messy. Disorienting. Hard to follow. Just a few of the ways I would describe the music on this album, so I'm afraid it's a big thumbs down from me. Well, not thumbs down, exactly: there is some very good music on this album. But it's likely to take too much work to get to truly appreciate it, if ever I could, and quite frankly, I have neither the time nor the inclination to spend my valuable time in that fashion.
The big shame is that there's the hint of some real talent there. Songs like “Angel's eyes”, “Miracle” and “Down by the sea” show real promise, and I'm pretty sure that it's just the offputting changes in the music styles that's stopping me from truly appreciating the Von Hertzen Brothers for who they are, but then, that's really up to them: I'm their (potential) customer, and they really need to do a lot more to make me want to listen than they're doing here.
A case, really, of a lost sale due to bad management of resources.
TRACKLISTING
1. Miracle
2. Gloria
3. Voices in our heads
4. Angel's eyes
5. Down by the sea
6. Bring out the snakes
7. Repeat mode
8. Always been right
9. I believe