(Nextbigthing NEXT005CD)
Hidria Spacefolk- Symetria
(Nextbigthing NEXT005CD)
From Aural Innovations #36 (May 2007)
The masters of Finnish instrumental Astrobeat-Space Rock are back! IT was a long journey for this CD that you can now here but it is worth it. The CD comes in yet another really cool and unique packaging. While some of the old Hidria sound is still here, the band are really opening up to a more melodic sound on this record and the CD features some trumpet and trombone as well as harmonium and cello as well on selected tracks. Sami’s guitar is really Steve Hillage like at times as it soars with amazing melodic guitar lines, while Mikko has a more dirty, heavy sound this time around to contrast Sami’s. The backline of the band, Kimmo and Teemu are as solid as ever on bass and drums. Janne provides those killer synth lines and space sounds as always. Symetria starts the CD off and is a very fast paced and melodic track with some great guitars that really take off and the mix is really psychedelic at times with the synths and guitars spaced all over. Futur Ixiom begins with a heavy riff but mostly becomes very melodic and drifts in and out of some very cool themes. 322 has a quite heavy guitar riff and very spacey synths and then Sami’ layers in the Hillage like guitars before the tune goes funky and has a cool horn section! Flora/Fauna starts off quite melodic and features accordion before Mikko’s guitar riff builds up to be quite heavy and then they come back down with the accordion again and slowly builds into a very hypnotic track that gets more and more psychedelic while maintaining its true melodic nature. Great stuff.. Radien features a really crunchy guitar riff and some cool organ and synth leads by Janne. Sami is taking a bit more of backseat on this track rather than the lead. You really get sucked into this track with the cool groove and the way the two guitars slowly build up into each other at the end. This one was great live! Sine ends this really cool CD and is 11½ minutes long and the most like their older material than anything else on the CD, with this very electronic, almost techno groove that is so catchy and hypnotic. A mind blower…. The grooves are solid, hypnotic and 100% HIDRIA! Buy it now…you won’t be disappointed…
For more information you can visit the Hidria Spacefolk web site at: http://www.hidriaspacefolk.st
Visit the Next Big Thing records web site at: http://www.nextbigthing.fi
Reviewed by Scott Heller