Today, SVART RECORDS announces January 18th, 2013 as the release date for SAMMAL‘s self-titled debut, to be available on both CD and LP formats. A mesmerizing and often gorgeous amalgamation of Finnish prog and ’70s rock, the first revelation of SAMMAL‘s Sammal can be heard/viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2LPKc5tIpk.
Tracklisting for SAMMAL’s Sammal
1. Puolikuu
2. Esox Lucius
3. Jäniksen vuoksi
4. Kaikki kortit
5. Näennäiskäännännäinen
6. Lehtipuiden alle
7. Jokainen pysyköön uskossaan
8. Veneenrakentaja
9. Kylmää usvaa
SAMMAL is that good old friend you’ve never met. Free from the confines of a scene or part of any genre wave, like the wild moss their name translates to. They have conjured a rare album, quite of its own but nostalgic in only the best way. A band that manages to capture a sense of golden moments in Finnish music, naturally and without pretensions. Vocals that soar confidently and warmly with beautiful lyrics which, though sung entirely in Finnish, are utterly relatable due to the passion in the voice and beauty of the compositions, made more arcane by the sentiments the sound evokes. Lyrics translated inside the booklet are a magic discovery of a band that inspires more about their culture and heart than most well-known Finnish bands today.
„SAMMAL began when we were staying at our singer’s summer cottage one autumn, listening to classic rock and prog LPs with a barely functioning vintage turntable,” comments guitarist/keyboardist Jura Salmi. „We had played in English language bands for some years, and that night we discussed our common interest to write songs in our native language and to follow the freely flowing creative spirit we heard on these records. We wanted to use music and the Finnish language to paint landscapes that are completely alien to modern-day stress and musical pigeonholing. Free association and freedom of expression are still at the core of SAMMAL.”
Touching on these deep themes, rarely does a voice emote and sound so ubiquitous or wiser in modern rock. Through their riffs, solos, and vintage keys, you can find traces of everything that made Love Records and Finnish prog so beloved, not only in their home country but abroad. SAMMAL give the same impression of a band Finns can be proud of, while doing a great service to their musical culture and heritage. They have a masterful natural command of classic rock music that surpasses their age with nods to Thin Lizzy, Camel, Birth Control, Budgie, and the epic guitar journeys of the Allman Brothers, while all along carving their own unique path. Redefining the term „modern classic” in an age of lesser pretenders. One of the greatest modern interpretations of classic Scandinavian progressive rock we have ever come across. Sink into the forest rock moss with SAMMAL!
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/pages/Sammal/109324700030
www.svartrecords.com