LAPKO

Harjavalta, a smalltown in Western Finland, has contributed to the Finnish music by bringing up a total of two much-acclaimed rock bands. The better known of the two, at least so far, has been Maj Karma, but during the last few years Lapko has risen to challenge their former neighbours. They have been making noise for eleven years now, and even if the names like Placebo and Tool still regularly appear in their interviews and record reviews, at least it can be said that this band has reworked their influences into something entirely new in a very distinguished manner. A no-good combo would hardly gain such a number of rave reviews as Lapko did with their last year's Scandal album, hitting the bull's eye in both the consumers' and critics' opinion. A peculiar trait with Lapko's releases have been the ironic but smart references to the Eighties both in the song titles and in the music itself, where the fuzz and the melodies happily serve each other.

It is almost a cliché to describe a group to be "first and foremost a live band", but in Lapko's case, this praise can be justified by referring to the band's compact form. Even if a trio may be the strict minimum for a rock'n'roll band, Lapko manages to sound amazingly rich and intensive. The combo itself stresses the importance of band chemistry, something that is most clearly visible right where the festival goer can see it best: onstage. Do come and see for yourself the fruits of this seamless teamwork.

www.lapko.com
myspace.com/lapko

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