Well this Finnish band has managed to surprise me with their brand of music. Huminoita is a progressive post-rock band with elements from shoegaze, stoner rock, jazz and metal. The album is purely instrumental with some shamanistic vocals. Another reviewer called it “a missing link between Sigur Rós and Ash Ra Tempel.” Don’t know about you, but I had little clue as to what to expect…
And the thing is, this is actually quite enjoyable. Yes it is instrumental (the voice is used as an instrument here, not to sing words), but I feel the songs have enough depth. This because of the use of dynamics. Never ultra heavy, but it does go from whisper soft to rocking out. And everything in between. A lot is based on repeating melodic lines.
So the six songs on the album (clocking in at almost 40 minutes) hold your attention with ease. And while some instrumentalists try to captivate audiences with impeccable technique, Huminoita go for feel, groove and moods. Quite psychedelic at times, so I can imagine some people getting sucked in and wandering off to far away places in their mind.
One of the first releases on the new Luova label, this is a promise for things to come.