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Avarus

Second only to fellow finns Kemialliset Ystävät (who, not surprisingly, also share members) when it comes to sheer folk-noise insanity, Avarus are another troupe of merry "folkers" originating from Tampere. Although one probably couldn't easily differentiate a Kemialliset Ystävät record from an Avarus record from simply listening to it on the spot, there are some small differences in the groups aesthetics. The most recognizable of these is the harshness in the Avarus sound, the playful melodies are much less frequent, the sounds more repetitive and when the improvisations start taking shape and rocking out, they really rock out! Some of the groups jams must be heard to be believed as they can become pretty far-out and intense. Never an easy ride, but most cathartic.

I actually started listening to Avarus before Kemialliset Ystävät (which I came to prefer ever so slightly). I had been looking for the overly rare first releases on 3" CD-R's, 7" singles and hand-painted CD-R's. Unfortunately, this proved much more difficult then expected. If you hadn't heard of earlier incarnations of the group like The Anaksimandros or Pylon (again, all these bands share members, tough to say who's in who) and actually purchased them when they came out, it's practically impossible to have a copy. The Tumult remedied to the situation by releasing (most of) these early outings in 2003. Since then, I've gotten my hands on most of what they've done and went on to discover the wonderful and fresh music coming out of Finland.

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