They're back! Older and wiser that's for sure, the Ilmiliekki Quartet was one of the great success stories of the ‘first wave’ of Finnish jazz in the new millennium, along with The Five Corners Quintet, Timo Lassy All-Stars, and U-Street All Stars (signed by Blue Note and featuring both Lassy and guitar virtuoso Teemu Viinikainen). Of them all, Ilmiliekki not only suggested the greatest artistic potential (all these bands were in their late teens/early twenties at the time) but both Pohjola, Louhivuori and Prättälä seemed genuine stars in the making. And so it proved (Pohjola and Louhivuori are currently acclaimed Edition recording artists, for example). But after just two albums on the TUM label they failed to capitalise on their growing reputation and just as the band were forging a powerful collective identity they went their separate ways. With Land Of Real Men, the question is, of course, whether they could make a first impression twice. The answer is yes, and once again they succeed on their own terms, while suggesting even greater promise for the future with their newly accumulated worldly wisdom. It's a band that runs the gamut between Nordic cool and Nordic fire, and they do it with more authenticity (a rare word in jazz today) and creativity than before. Do us a favour boys, stick at it this time. United you stand much taller than you do divided.