Jo Below is one of those bands that you read about and question what you just saw; Southern-Fried Blues Hard Rock from Finland. Go ahead, read that again. With a sound that crosses into 70s-inspired Classic Rock on a whim, the four of them bring back something old and make it new again. This is like Fleetwood Mac meets The Outlaws with some Stevie Ray Vaughn sprinkled in for good measure. This EP has a killer groove to it with catchy guitar hooks and rhythms that you can move to. It is amazing to hear modern tunes inspired by music from 50 years ago sound so fresh. See, Finland isn’t all Black Metal and corpse paint. Jo Below shows the musical culture there is as diverse as anywhere in the Metal Realm.

https://jobelow.bandcamp.com/music

Band Members:

  • Johanna Kari – Vocals
  • Roni Seppänen – Guitars
  • Jonne Lindqvist – Bass
  • Olli Vartiainen – Drums

Release Date:

March 15, 2024 – Inverse Records

https://www.inverse.fi

Tracklist:

  1. Broken Promises
  2. Forever Mine
  3. Who Are You
  4. Life On The Line
  5. The Unknown

Jo Below immediately lets you know who they are on this record. The opening riff to “Broken Promises” is a Blues-infused Classic Rock sound that will take your mind back to yesteryear. With a voice that sounds like it might be the lovechild of Pat Benatar and Joan Jett, Johanna will catch your ear in an instant. There is a warmth within the tone that belies the bits of distortion she has thrown in with great effect. The guitars have a distinct groove to them with Roni bringing flair and fashion to his playing. The leads accentuate the riffs beautifully, crafting both a modern sound with a vintage vibe.

Jonne and Olli are a formidable duo. I can imagine them on stage with Roni just jamming while Johanna pumps up the crowd and dances around, allowing them time to just show their chops. Put all of this with chantable choruses and lyrics about how we all feel at certain times in our lives and you get one of those bands that is both easy to listen to and easy to relate to. Some of these songs feel like the stages of a relationship between two people; some pleasant and some not so nice.

The key thing to take away from this record is that you get five tracks that are things you’ve felt. Jo Below puts to music what you’ve experienced growing up or may be going through right now. Have you ever looked at someone after they shocked or betrayed you and wondered “Who Are You”? Have you ever looked at someone and just knew you wanted to spend the rest of your life with them? If so, this album will hit you right in the feels and make you wonder how Jo Below reads your mind.

MZ Ratings:

Musicianship:

  •             Guitars – 9
  •             Rhythms – 8
  •             Vocals – 9
  • Songwriting – 8
  • Production – 8

Overall – 8.60