Finns Rivette have a broad palette of influences, and they don’t mind who knows it. The press release that accompanies the review version of their new EP, In Vertigo, casually tosses off such august names as Dire Straits, Boston, Diamond Head, The Police, Riot and the ‘NWoBHM in General’. Surely they can’t sound like all of that?
Obviously not, but you can spend a diverting twenty minutes listening to the record and pointing out the influences – and there are many – as they shift in and out of focus. The cover, for a start, does resemble something that might have clothed an early Dire Straits release, and opening track Outrun the Night does have a certain Sultans of Swing feel in it’s lazily efficient rhythm guitar playing and unadorned Strat tones. And second track Arms of Lightning – probably the best on offer of the five here – does indeed carry the hallmark of Brian Tatler in it’s balls-out riffage and excellent drumming. It’s Diamond Head circa 1981, everyone, and it’s pretty exciting!
Esa Pirttimäki marks himself out as a versatile axeponent on this opening brace of tracks, and if his vocalising isn’t quite up to the same standard it never actually takes away from the enjoyment you get from listening to any of the five tracks here. Third track The String Master has a whiff of Canadians Triumph about it before Pirttimäki unleashes another Knopfleresque solo, drummer Kode Vertanen throwing some tasteful cowbell into the mix to add to the fun.
The strangely-titled Limelights of Fire is a gloriously breakneck trip back to the heavy metal delights of 1981, bassist FF Nieminen adding propulsive four string work to support more excellent playing from Esa Pirttimäki – the solo he pulls out at the end of the song really is top notch – with the result being a beguiling mix of Angel Witch and Vardis that really hits the spot.
The band round out proceedings with the title track that aims high – Triumph again springs to mind, especially as Pirttimäki Reaches for some high-pitched Rik Emmett-styled vocals – but doesn’t quite scale those heights, the execution just falling short of the ambition. That said, you’ll still sense the pulse racing as the band stretch out in the instrumental mid section – and if this is what’the band are capable of on their first release then I for one certainly can’t wait to hear what they come up with next. Well worth your time id early eighties rock gets your juices flowing.
In Vertigo is out now.
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