Alamaailman Vasarat

Traditional Klezmer music played with the intensity of contemporary punk and metal

Oct 12, 2022

Alamaailman Vasarat was an avant-garde band from Finland, formed in 1997 by Jarno Sarkula (sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass and contrabass saxophones, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, various woodwind instruments) and Teemu Hänninen (drums) — two members of another avant-garde band, Höyry-kone.

Together, with Jarkko Niemelä (trumpet, alto horn), Miikka Huttunen (pump organ, grand piano, keyboards, melodica), Tuukka Helminen (cello), Marko Manninen (cello, theremin), they wrote music influenced by Klezmer and various other forms of traditional European folk music — and played with the intensity of contemporary punk and metal. Mostly abandoning major keys and guitars, just not the distortion pedals.

They made a name for themselves during the approximate 10-year window (from about 1996-2006ish) that fusing metal and more traditional European & Middle Eastern music was kind of a big thing. It was mostly just called "prog rock", but it was really a subset of prog rock that I'm not sure had a name.

It included bands like Mr Bungle, who only peppered it into a few songs, to Farmers Market, who was more traditional than it was rock, to some of my all-time favorites: Secret Chiefs 3, Estradasphere, and even Jerseyband, sort of — who kinda bought up the rear of this particular cohort of bands (all 3 of which will be getting their own article at some point).

Somehow Alamaailman Vasarat, which translates to "the Hammers of the Underworld", wasn't on my radar until long after their only US/East Coast shows in October of 2000.

9.9.2000
ALAMAAILMAN VASARAT IN UNITED STATES! Yes, it is true - the band will make a short trip in the East coast! First gig will be at famous Knitting Factory, New York, 10th of October. The show takes place at Knitactive Sound Stage. The second gig is in Baltimore, at Orion Sound Studios 14th of October. On both shows you can see Höyry-kone as well, so if you live around these parts, don't miss these gigs!

Unfortunately, the band's co-founder, Jarno Sarkula, died in Portugal in 2020. With their original drummer and other co-founder leaving the band in 2010, their last album being released in 2012, last Youtube upload in 2013, and last Facebook post in 2017, it doesn’t seem that his death actually impacted their output. By 2020, I'm not sure what their status as a band even was, but I feel like it's safe to assume we won't be getting anything new now.