Standard Human Experiece are a young band born in Finland that offers Heavy Prog sounds, with 70s influences and modern traits that mix to create a personal style. Their debut album “Never Belong” was released only psysical on May 21, 2021 via Wormholedeath Records and contains 6 long-running tracks. As the label describes: “The songs got captured on tape, omething tangible in the abstract digital modern era. The band also explores modern music with appetite but with special care for its’ roots kept in mind.” The opener “Population Control” starts with a powerful rhythm session and hard guitar riffs, all enriched by tempo changes and an expressive vocal that fits well with the track. The bass lines are load-bearing and the intensity increases with the passing of the minutes, as well as the structure that is pleasantly elaborated. Well composed and performed, this opening track has a strong impact and a mix of more prog sounds with a foray into Metal, in particular the skilled vocal in modulating the voice from softer to more aggressive without losing quality. The second “Hero Oversold” instead begins with softer guitar arpeggios and a deep and penetrating bass, even here the intensity increases with the passing of the minutes, gaining power more slowly. The guitar riffs are hard and sharp and the vocals are warmer and more expressive, always with some aggressive passages and the choral and symphonic refrain. Skilled in passing from heavier sections and other more melodic sections in a clear Prog style, where the guitar is at the center of the project and the rhythm session at times intricate is solid and fades well the tempo changes. “Never Belong” is the shortest of the album, in any case exceeding 4 minutes, more delicate and Rock than the previous ones, it softens the tones while still being pleasant. with a more linear structure and in the form of a ‘song’, it offers a more classic, well-executed and flowing Rock. With “Take This Longing” they offer a dark and melancholy sound, with a very warm low-key vocal. The guitar weaves are more delicate and the choral parts pleasant. Halfway through the song, the intensity increases and they offer a tighter instrumental section, while remaining in the Rock area with good cues and hypnotic guitar riffs. “Traces Of You” is another delicate song with acoustic and electric guitar that always intertwine on softer atmospheres, the vocal is also less harsh. A song with different influences where Rock mixes with quality Pop, and the mixes between the different guitars is pleasant, also offering a short solo in the finish, while the structure of the rhythmic session remains more linear and less intricate. The album closes with the longest track that exceeds 7 minutes in duration “Container” and immediately shows more elaborate guitar melodies. The bass offers some interesting lines, the drum is solid and the vocal again on lower tones is warm and expressive. Less aggressive and more elaborate, it shows another facets of their sound, with pleasant interweaving of voices that occupy almost the entire piece, even if in the final the guitar carves out the space for a solo. A band that with this debut proposes a sound with different faces, the first songs more powerful and aggressive both in sound and in vocals, and then decrease in intensity in the second part of the disc. These two faces have their strong points, especially in the textures of the guitar and in the singing that is well used in all situations. The refined and perfected compositional and executive technique will allow this band to propose good albums also in the future. A listening recommended for lovers of modern Rock sounds that blend with those of past years, with a personal imprint to be perfected but which already has its own distinctive characteristics.
Tracklist
01. Population Control (5:35)
02. Hero Oversold (6:50)
03. Never Belong (4:45)
04. Take This Longing (6:55)
05. Traces Of You (6:42)
06. Container (7:17)
Lineup
Touko Lehenkari / Vocals
Sami Perttunen / Guitar
Tom Pohjola / Bass guitar
Joel Huttunen / Drums
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