Finch’s second album rounds off some of the sharp edges, but it’s no less adventurous than the debut.The 20-minute “A Passion Condensed” will probably stand for all time as their defining masterpiece, its mood changes and structural layers revealing themselves after many attentive listens.
Each passage merges easily into the next, showing Finch at the top of their game, each member completely dialed-in and making this huge piece work.
There are times when one is almost tricked into thinking that it is Focus playing rather than Finch, so and so their Dutch counterparts have obviously been a big influence.
In particular the interplay between Joop’s complex guitar work and Cleem’s keyboard runs is very reminiscent of work of Jan Akerman and This Van Leer.“Scars On The Ego” smashes through next, standing as their heaviest-ever track.
Based around a riff that feels like pure epic metal, the middle of the song settles into a hypnotic cosmic caress before erupting in a fury of sparks and fire (thanks to the wailing punishment keyboardist Cleem Determeijer and guitarist JoopVan Nimwegen dish out to their instruments).
While the title of third track “Beyond The Bizarre” would seem to indicate a wilder ride ahead, it is simply 14 minutes of typical Finch.
It bounces between mellow and manic, highlighted by a joyous lightning-speed workout from the stringed instrumentalists.
About 2/3 of the way through the song they break into a cosmic interlude which sounds so much like a section from Yes’s ‘Close To The Edge’ that you’d swear you were at a Yes concert.
But credit to Finch – 'Yes' are a band that anyone would like to be mistaken for.
Beyond Expression is not as direct as their first album, nor as refined as their third, but this second album can probably be considered the most challenging and diverse of the three Finch albums.
A Passion Condensed:
Track List:
01. A Passion Condensed
02. Scars On The Ego
03. Beyond The Bizarre
Personnel:
*Cleem Determeijer - keyboards
*Beer Klaasse - drums
*Joop Van Nimwegen - guitars
*Peter Vink – bass
[ Rip and Scans by LARRY ]
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