Hadal Sherpa - 2017 - Hadal Sherpa

(68:13; Hadal Sherpa)

Track list:
1. Nautilus Part 1 7:52
2. Nautilus Part 2 7:57
3. Chafa Azeno 9:07
4. Ikaros 7:49
5. Heracleion 11:14
6. Marracech 7:24
7. Abyss 9:30
8. Black Elk 7:20

Line-up:
Vesa Pasanen - guitars, bouzouki, keyboards, percussion
Sauli Marila - bass, cello
Matti Elsinen - keyboards
Ville Kainulainen - guitars
Ilja Juutilanen - drums, percussion
with:
Pi Kiviharju - flute
Arttu Muhonen - percussion
Olli Rautiainen - trumpet


Prolusion.
Finnish band Hadal Sherpa started out back in 2013, and from what I can see the band has been an active unit also in their local live scene also in their earlier days, in addition to preparing and developing their own material. In the summer of 2017 they released their debut album "Hadal Sherpa", which is the sole album released by the band as of 2023.

Analysis.
This is a band that in my view at least looks in two related but also fairly different directions in terms of the progressive rock traditions they desire to explore. Both of them can be described as being retro-oriented, albeit retro in this care referring to two different time periods and in my view at least also two bands with a fairly different scope and direction to the landscapes they are known to traverse.

This album kicks off with a two-part song that comes with features that will strike a chord with fans of classic era Camel in particular. We get atmospheric laden floating and flowing landscapes with occasional surges in tightness and intensity, elegant flute soloing and a playful but also careful rhythm section that adds a charming touch of jazz to the proceedings. These are songs that wouldn't have been out of place on, say, Camel's self-titled album from back in the day. Hadal Sherpa does expand upon this landscape just a little bit though, with folk music elements, a little bit of a possible post-rock flirt and with quite a bit of a psychedelic and borderline cosmic presence as perhaps the most dominant expansion of the canvas explored.

The other important playground of this band revolve around Middle-Eastern and world music oriented tones, notes and scales, explored in a tight and playful manner that reminds me of early days Ozric Tentacles more than anything else. Impulses that appear on the third track 'Chafa Azeno', and actually has a dominating presence from that point and onward on the album. Again these are impulses that have been expanded upon when compared to the reference name-dropped, with a tighter, harder and more dominant guitar presence first and foremost, and interestingly enough with less of the cosmic impulses that Ozric Tentacles had a tendency to add to the landscapes they used to explore.

The rest of the album pretty much plays out as either one or the other of these two main impulses as the dominant ones, and on a few occasions we do get compositions that mix and blend elements from both of these main orientations too of course. The songs are all instrumental, playful through and through, and with a tendency to alternate between being compelling and mesmerizing in a more atmospheric laden manner and being playful, tight and energetic with a more directly engaging. With a few instances of more careful and ambient oriented side steps along the way.

While there are some very obvious similarities to certain bands in these compositions, the approach and execution here does make me suspect that the direct sources of inspiration may well lay elsewhere in probably among artists that aren't as well known as the ones I have referred to. A matter of higher importance is of course that this isn't a band that comes across as a unit with a desire to directly replicate anyone either. These are compositions that function very well in their own right, without any frames of reference being required to enjoy the landscapes explored here.

Conclusion.
I find this debut album by Hadal Sherpa to be quite the mesmerizing and compelling production. The blend of more atmospheric laden and elegant progressive rock on one hand and the more distinct world music and middle eastern inspired progressive rock on the other works wonderfully well, both when explored as more standalone features as well as when these tendencies are combined. If you tend to enjoy instrumental progressive rock that operates within these parameters, I'd consider this album as something of a must-have album. An impressive debut album with numerous magnificent compositions.

Olav "Progmessor" Björnsen, December 2023

Links:
https://www.facebook.com/HadalSherpa/