Pasi Koivu is a Finnish keyboard player and composer. He has had a classical piano training and has been influenced by Keith Emerson (ELP), Rick Wright (Pink Floyd) and especially Jon Lord (Deep Purple). Dark Tales & Mad Dreams is drenched in the keyboard sound of Purple s organ grinder, specifically the sound he made during songs like Lazy. Does this mean that Dark Tales & Mad Dreams is a joy for the metal prog head? Unfortunately it doesn't, because the sound of most songs is almost endearing due to their amateurism. As Koivu does everything himself you're once again saddled up with the dreaded sound of the rhythm box which produces much too simple drum sounds that devaluate the songs. Coupled with the fact that Pasi Koivu- when he's not rocking out like Jon Lord - is a fan of harpsichord-like sounds, you have a recipe for an album that won't set the music history alight. * André de Waal (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
