progvisions  review

intro

Overhead a prog band from Finland that I did know and of whom progVisions wrote a review in the grey past based on a CD copied by the band itself. We are now talking about the year 2003, the year of their debut album "Zumanthum". The reviewer had it right because he wrote the following words in his conclusion; ".... a new band capable of doing great things in the future ...". To be honest, the band was a bit out of sight at progVisions. Maybe because the heavy side of Prog was explored by the band? It remains a bit of a mystery to me. But a few years ago (2019), that came to an abrupt end, as the band completely blew me over at front row during a performance at the Night of the Prog festival in Germany. A year later, the band did it again at the ArtRock festival in Reichenbach, Germany. There, a Marshall amplifier literally went up in smoke. It was a memorable performance and, for me, one of the personal highlights of the entire festival. Naturally, the band has been invited back to the ArtRock festival and coming April the band will be back. The band will then present their Magnum Opus "Telepathic Minds" which will be released next month on double CD, double Vinyl and in digital forms and streams. Already a gig to look forward to; simply because "Telepathic Minds" has become a masterpiece.

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review

For Prog fans unfamiliar with Finnish band Overhead, first a bit of history. Formed in the year 1999, the band released their aforementioned debut album "Zumanthum" in 2002. A first of a trilogy of studio albums they made for the French label Musea. The other two were "Metaepitome" (2005) and "And We're Not Here After All" (2008). The successors to these three albums were "Of Sun and Moon" (2012) and the album I bought myself after an Overhead gig in Reichenbach "Haydenspark" (2018). This album is definitely recommended if you can't get enough of their new double album "Telepathic Minds" (2023).

On the first CD of this double album, you will hear the following songs; "War To End All Wars" (8:44), "Ghosts From The Future" (which consists of parts , i) Endless Sleep, ii) Last Chance To Bail) (12:41) , "Sail Across The Universe" (8:22), "The Pilot's Not Fit To Fly" (9:19) and "Sleep Tight Sweetheart" (5:50)

The first CD's opener "War To End All Wars" pops right in. After a fierce instrumental piece of Prog with fine melodies on keyboards, guitar and flute, the first vocal part follows supported by wonderfully strumming guitars and a fine rhythm section. Enjoy the beautiful vocal melody lines and a vocalist (Alex Keskitalo) who in recent years has become one of the most passionate vocalists in the Prog scene. And on top of that, he is a gifted flautist. At the end, delicious Hammond organ, driving electric guitars and synth parts pass by before guitarist Jaakko Kettunen delights us with a delicious melodic solo. What an opener, this is what contemporary Prog should sound like. All fire and passion! A delightful opener.

Then it is time for the long "Ghosts From The Future" which takes almost 13 minutes. This song consists of parts i) Endless Sleep and ii) Last Chance To Bail. The band first takes a bit of a breather after that fiery opener. But this does not last long as the instrumental sections slowly build towards a climax. Personally, I am impressed by the progression the band has made in recent years in terms of composition, diversity and instrument mastery. Again, you hear beautiful melodies and wonderful guitar and flute playing here, but that is actually true for the entire album. In this song, the influences of Eastern and Arabic melodies stand out. Because of the diversity in composition, those 13 minutes pass by in no time. At the end of the song, the atmosphere of the opening briefly returns before the band ends with another climax.

Now the band does not take back any throttle "Sail Across The Universe" bangs in quite a bit again. We even catch vocalist Alex Keskitalo on a few minor grunts in this song that emphasises the rock side of the band. Besides the passionate delivery of the vocals, the beautiful flute playing stands out, which often rivals the work of master Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull). A nice rock song.

"The Pilot's Not Fit To Fly" has a quieter character and is more Progressive Rock oriented with beautiful melody lines and fine flute playing. The flute plays an important role in this song. I am impressed and can't wait to hear these beautiful melodies in a live setting again (ArtRock, Reichenbach). In addition to the flute, the electric guitar is also given space in this song. This song has very strong instrumental parts. A beautiful song in a somewhat slower rhythm.

The last song of the first CD also has a slightly slower tempo and where in the previous song the flute demanded all the attention, in this song the electric guitar is the star. Guitarist Jaakko Kettunen gives a master class in playing the guitar here. Wonderful song.

On the second CD of this double album you will hear the following songs; "Telepathic Minds" (which consists of parts i) Hypnotized, ii) Random Honesty, iii) Telepathic Minds, iv) Back In Time and v) Reprise: Home Again) (17:18), "Tuesday That Never Came" (4:03), "Planet Of Disorder" (7:18), "Sheep Stay Silent" (7:45) and "Almost Always Near The End" (7:45)

The second CD of this double album opens with the long suite "Telepathic Minds" which is divided into the following parts i) Hypnotized, ii) Random Honesty, iii) Telepathic Minds, iv) Back In Time and v) Reprise: Home Again. In "Hypnotized" you can hear acoustic guitar and atmospheric and ambient keyboard sounds that accompany the first vocal part. In "Random Honesty" the music becomes more powerful and you can enjoy beautiful vocal melodies while synths swell more and more. The intensity is ramped up further in "Telepathic Minds". Here you can hear powerful vocal parts, full and melodic synth and keyboard parts. The band gives full throttle again and then slows down in "Back In Time". The vocal melodies are very strong in this song. We also enjoy a slow and blues-inspired melodic guitar solo in this part. The keyboard orchestrations by keyboardist Jere Saarainen are also worth mentioning. Each part of the "Telepathic Minds" suite flows seamlessly into the next. In the last part "Reprise: Home Again" some themes return and you can hear a wonderful piece of flute. Certainly in terms of composition, this is one of the highlights of this beautiful album.

The title track is followed by the short "Tuesday That Never Came". In the slow opening, the most beautiful melodies of the entire album pass by. The first part has beautiful delicate guitar work and wonderfully sung vocal lines. Slowly the music becomes more powerful and the music works towards a kind of climax before it ends in delicate beauty again. Despite the short duration, this is one of my personal highlights of this album. What a beautiful song this is.

Speaking of highlights, the next song "Planet Of Disorder" is also worth mentioning. You can enjoy beautiful flute and guitar work and beautiful vocal melodies again. Without shorting the other members, singer/flautist Alex Keskitalo impresses me on this album. This last part of the album is very strong. Just listen to the next track "Sleep Stay Silent". A song in which the flute reminds me of Jethro Tull (Ian Anderson) and the driving and brooding guitar parts remind me of Led Zeppelin ("Kashmir"). Now realize that I give few references in my review. This is because the Finnish Overhead has developed its own sound and style over the years. This is a big compliment to the band. "Telepathic Minds" closes with the song "Almost Always Near The End". Nice rock riffs and a fat solo on the electric guitar, passionate vocals, a steady rhythm section, fine flute work, fat keyboards and beautiful vocal melodies. Again a song with the necessary diversity to keep the listener captivated.

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conclusion

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