Exposé Online

What's old

Exposé print issues (1993-2011)

• 1 (October 1993)
• 2 (February 1994)
• 3 (May 1994)
• 4 (August 1994)
• 5 (October 1994)
• 6 (March 1995)
• 7 (July 1995)
• 8 (November 1995)
• 9 (March 1996)
• 10 (August 1996)
• 11 (February 1997)
• 12 (May 1997)
• 13 (October 1997)
• 14 (February 1998)
• 15 (July 1998)
• 16 (January 1999)
• 17 (April 1999)
• 18 (November 1999)
• 19 (May 2000)
• 20 (October 2000)
• 21 (March 2001)
• 22 (July 2001)
• 23 (December 2001)
• 24 (April 2002)
• 25 (September 2002)
• 26 (February 2003)
• 27 (August 2003)
• 28 (December 2003)
• 29 (April 2004)
• 30 (September 2004)
• 31 (March 2005)
• 32 (September 2005)
• 33 (May 2006)
• 34 (March 2007)
• 35 (January 2008)
• 36 (October 2008)
• 37 (July 2009)
• 38 (July 2010)
• 39 (Summer 2011)

Varjo-Orkesteri — Prima Volta
(Bandcamp Inverse, 2022, DL)

by Henry Schneider, Published 2022-08-19

Prima Volta is the debut album by Finnish prog rock / metal band Varjo-Orkesteri (Shadow Orchestra in English). The band came together by accident when Jarmo Pikka, Pasi Hakuli, Saku Hakuli of Fog Light were planning a new album of instrumentals. They started discussing adding vocals and then enlisted Markku Pihlaja. Initially the lyrics were to be in English, but over time they emerged as Finnish. The result is ten tracks of Finnish prog rock ranging from harsh speed metal prog to the sublime. Their first single “Sydänmusta” is very different from the rest of the album. Rather than assaulting you with heavy prog power guitar, Saku Hakuli finger picks his electric guitar while Markku Pihlaja sings a senstive melodic song about a heart that is so black that it hides the soul. A one word review of the rest of the album is “Whew!” These guys cook and their demanding music leaves you drained from the rapid guitar licks, dissonance, martial rhythms, gritty vocals, and melodic guitar melodies. Another standout track is “Kuvajainen” that is more rock oriented than the rest. The Nordic countries are producing a lot of interesting prog rock bands that are today extending the genre. Varjo-Orkesteri is certainly a band worth investigating.

---

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): Varjo-Orkesteri

More info
http://varjo-orkesteri.bandcamp.com/album/prima-volta

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.

• Review: The Breakers - A Seahorse of a Different Color
  Published 2024-09-07
• Review: Stephen Grew - Now We Are Here
  Published 2024-09-07
• Listen and discover: Running the Gauntlet with the Kris Davis Trio
  Published 2024-09-07
• Release: Theo Travis - Aeolus: One Hour Duduk Meditation
  Updated 2024-09-06 19:55:15
• Release: The Honey Pot - The Outskirts of Your Mind - Live 2022-23
  Updated 2024-09-06 19:22:15
• Release: Bill Frisell - Four
  Updated 2024-09-06 19:19:39
• Review: Buddhadatta / The Paul Kidney Experience - Buddhadatta / Paul Kidney Experience
  Published 2024-09-06
• Listen and discover: Alone Time or Surrounded by People? You Choose...
  Published 2024-09-06
• Review: Dekonstruktor - Death Beat
  Published 2024-09-06
• Release: Aperus - Lost Tribe of the Shadow
  Updated 2024-09-05 23:32:17
• Release: Satoko Fujii Quartet - Dog Days of Summer
  Updated 2024-09-05 14:01:02
• Release: Snowdrops - Singing Stones (Volume 1)
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:52:44
• Release: M'Z - Émancipés du Vide?
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:47:49
• Release: The Verge - The Verge
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:45:48
• Artist: The Verge
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:44:55
• Release: Paula Rae Gibson / Matthew Bourne - Loving in Real Time
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:34:08
• Release: Paula Rae Gibson - The Roles We Play to Disappear
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:31:32
• Artist: Paula Rae Gibson
  Updated 2024-09-05 13:28:07
• Review: Irnini Mons - Irnini Mons & Une Habitante Touchée par une Météorite
  Published 2024-09-05
• Review: Moppa Elliott / Advancing on a Wild Pitch - Disasters Vol. 2
  Published 2024-09-05