Sammal ~ Finland

Suuliekki (2018)

Suuliekki is the 3rd album from the contemporary group Sammal, and in principle they might as well be from 1972. I've written about Sammal in the past, and along with Malady, they represent Finland proudly in the retro prog sweepstakes. Sammal are in the reproduction business, so anyone looking for new, modern, and cutting edge music, will have to look elsewhere. The band have completely immersed themselves into the mindset and culture of 1970 to 1975 Finland, and given that backdrop, continue to create new music within those confines. It's like a movie that's based on an historical event, and then the writers craft their own story within that event. All the tracks are sung in the native Finnish tongue, adding a very important - and much welcomed - authentic ingredient to the stew. As with all bands from Finland during that era, there are no sweeping prog epics, but rather a concise set of tunes, nothing clearing the 8 minute mark - and most shorter than that. If you're the type who cannot get enough of that fat analog production sound, along with the vintage keyboard setup, then Sammal are a band you'll want to add to your purchase stack. All 3 albums to date have proven to be satisfying, perhaps Suuliekki being the best yet. Sammal are for fans of the classic Finnish progressive rock sound such as Tasavallan Presidentti, Tabula Rasa, Nimbus, Fantasia, and Haikara.

Ownership: 2018 Svart (CD). Papersleeve gatefold. Disc face emulates the classic Brain logo font (in blue though, verse green). Booklet with band photos and lyrics. Lyrics in both native Finnish and translated English so most of us can know what they're singing about.

12/9/19 (acquired / review)

Sammal (2013)

I first heard Sammal via their second album Myrskyvaroitus. My review there can easily be transported here. It's the re-creation of Finland 1972, complete with lyrics sung in the native tongue, which is essential for the authentic experience. Perhaps a bit more blues based than the follow up, but very much in line with bands from the past like Kalevala, Elonkorjuu, and Tasavallan Presidentti. Retro prog heaven.

Ownership: 2013 Svart (CD)

12/04/16 (acquired / review)

Myrskyvaroitus (2015)

Sammal are yet another modern "proto-prog" Scandinavian group to reach back to the glory years of 1970 to 1974 for inspiration. The instrumentation is entirely analog, as are the production techniques. We recently featured another such group from Finland - Malady - and the results here on Sammal's second album are very similar. The indigenous tongue is also quite important for the overall product to be successful. For us Americans, who almost have no chance of understanding Finnish (or even figuring it out), we'll miss out on the meaning, but the sound of the language is integral to the presentation, and quite enjoyable to the ears. The end result is something akin to a Finnish Uriah Heep, circa 1972. It's a familiar recipe with a unique preparation. So if bands like Kalevala, Nimbus, and Haikara put a smile on your face, so shall Sammal.

Ownership: 2015 Svart (CD). Papersleeve gatefold. Booklet with lyrics in Finnish and English.

5/20/16 (acquired / review); 10/18/25

5/20/16 (new entry)