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"Between fusion, progressive and jazz rock, "Rantama" is a very rich album and a beautiful and unexpected discovery."
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4/5
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It's well known, Finland is a land of metal. The Scandinavian country is full of mysterious black metal or melodic metal bands, offering music that goes hand in hand with the cold winter climate. But Kuopio-based band Rantama tend to go against the trend. Created in 2014 as an instrumental fusion rock trio with Timo Rantama on guitar, Liro Laitinen on drums and Tatu Back on bass, the band released their debut album "Catching The Mystery" in 2016. Following the release of the opus, the singer Taavi Kiiskinen was recruited and the band took a new direction, which materialized with the release of the second eponymous album, released in 2020.
This second album is swimming in full rock fusion, with an omnipresent electric guitar at the base of the construction of each track. This is the case of the piece 'Roaring Rapids', certainly one of the best songs on the set list, with its simply excellent jazzy riff. The singer's voice is instantly seen as a huge added value for the band, right from the first verse of this track. Beyond the grain of voice that fits perfectly with the ambiances, Taavi Kiiskinen manages to reach notes of an incredible height and delivers a very solid performance throughout the record.
If the tracks are not very immediate because of their richness and length, some of them stand out thanks to well constructed vocal lines and well brought melodies ('We Are' or 'Small Blink Of Light' and its retro side tinged with new wave, especially on the intro).
Fans from the very beginning will also find themselves there thanks to the very good instrumental 'Ground Frost Forger', which is one of the highlights of the album. Beginning like a ballad, the first part of the track is built like a classic song with very identifiable verses and choruses where Timo Rantama's guitar takes the role of the vocals, before moving on to fusion. It almost sounds like a piece of Gungfly here! We won't forget either 'Dying Star', very jazz-rock, and especially its finale whose atmosphere reminds us of Pendragon or Arena, carried by a fast and wild guitar solo.
"Rantama" is therefore a very rich album that requires many attentive listenings to explore all its qualities. In spite of its youth, the band seems to have found its credo perfectly and already asserts a real identity, which is moreover original. A very beautiful and unexpected discovery. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Bird Nest - 3:09
02. Roaring Rapids - 5:37
03. Dying Star - 9:15
04. Ground Frost Forger - 6:36
05. Splendid Sun - 1:58
06. We Are - 7:40
07. A Small Blink of Light - 6:11
08. The Pond of No Return - 10:12
LINEUP:
Iiro Laitinen: Batterie
Taavi Kiiskinen: Chant
Tatu Back: Basse
Timo Rantama: Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(1) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
4/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (2 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH RANTAMA
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LAST INTERVIEW
RANTAMA (MAY 2020)
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Freshly arrived from Finland, the new quartet Rantama came to present their new eponymous album!
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OTHER REVIEWS
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