Hadal Sherpa - Memoria CD
SKU
Sherp 003
"This third album of the Finnish instrumental space rock group HADAL SHERPA was finished after the sudden death of their frontman and composer Vesa Pasanen (1982-2025) last July. The album, recorded during the '21 -' 25 sessions, had already been mixed and mastered before Vesa's death, and the final editings were done Last autumn with their friend Max Laine.
To me, this album is undoubtedly the best one of the three. Vesa, a gifted multi-instrumentalist, plays more keyboards alongside guitars and bass, and perhaps also Pi Viana's wordless vocals and flute are slightly more present here, and overall the music doesn't follow the space rock rule book (pardon my silly way to express it) as strictly as before. If there were some stoner nuances in the preceding albums, this one in contrast sounds pretty relaxed and maturely elegant.
I appreciate the seamless flow of the album whole. The third piece 'Insomnia' , approaching nine minutes, is beautifully dreamy and peaceful and yet not without progressive dynamics. Pi's voice brings associations to 'Great Gig in the Sky'. The shortest piece 'Maeror' (4:28) is much grander and more passionate than its length would suggest, and it's seamlessly followed by 'Omina' where Pi continues doing her gorgeous vocalise parts. Sure, the main thing is still space rock, but it is played in a more "open" and emotional, in a sense more "feminine" touch than usual.
The final piece 'Memoria' approaches 12 minutes giving the listener a cosy, hurriless space to just let the music carry oneself in its lap. The guitar is often quite reminiscent of David Gilmour, and why not the synths too akin to Rick Wright, and yet I wouldn't say the band is sounding too Floydian to be thanked for their own sound.
R. I. P. Vesa Pasanen. This album is indeed a fine swan song for him." - ProgArchives