The title of this album, Jättiläisrotta (trans. Giant Rat) derives from Avarus' theory of the Three Stages of Drunkenness:
Stage 1. "I wish I were drunk."
Stage 2. "I have to puke."
Stage 3. Jättiläisrotta
From the circle of psychos who bring you Kemialliset Ystävät and the Anaksimandros comes this release by the one and only Avarus. These Finns play a freaked out blend of noise, folk and, could it be... free jazz!???!??!!??! Packed with aural mayhem and musical non-sequiturs, this music will make you dance like Dr. Huxtable, no joke. Although they have released many tapes, 7", and CD-r's all over the world, this is Avarus' FIRST CD!
"Formed by various members of leftfield Finnish bands such as Maniac’s Dream and Pylon, Avarus have managed to achieve a reasonable amount of notoriety over the last year or so. Jättiläisrotta will do them no harm at all although it will confuse as many people as it will delight. Those of you not well versed in the more experimental or avant garde areas of music could find this album a total waste of time. However, if you can come to it with an open mind, then you might just have allowed yourself to enjoy a thoroughly trippy experience. Avarus have obviously drunk deep at the font of La Monte Young, and have created what can only really be described as a drone folk album. With repeated motifs, and an almost tribal rhythm Jättiläisrotta gets into your head and, if you were so inclined, it could take you on an almost spiritual journey. If you put enough into listening to this album, you will almost certainly get just as much out in return. In the wrong state of mind however, it could just sound like random meanderings.
This is an album whose title relates to stages of drunkenness, and at times when the drum patterns undulate in their timing, and the guitars slur endlessly the listener can feel quite disorientated. As we all know, getting drunk is always a 50/50 affair, it can be great fun, but you can also find yourself with your head down a toilet mumbling ‘Never Again.’ In the right circumstances Jättiläisrotta is an album that you can have great fun with, at other times (a particularly awful new age shop for example) you might find yourself swearing off of this kind of stuff forever. You’ll be back though; at the moment there isn’t an Avarus Anonymous." - Sam Shepherd
"There is a new global psychedelic underground, and one of its cultural centers is Finland. Now according to the CIA's World Factbook 2004, Finland transformed from a "farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy" since winning independence in 1917. I stress the words "farm," "forest," and "industrial" because they succinctly evoke the softly pulsating pastoral drones of Avarus -- one of the most productive of all Finnish psych groups (and there are dozens). Every one of these 10 patiently rippling folksy meditations, which last anywhere from two to five minutes, is a unique lo-fi weave of arcane string instrumentation, esoteric horns, unknown metallic percussion, and cryptic electronic processes. Mysterious isn't even the word for this because I can't decipher who in the hell is doing what and how. It actually sounds like both an ancient relic discovered far below the forest floor and a brief but intoxicating glimpse into some cyberfuture when humanity has finally established healthy commune with nature, technology, and itself." - Justin F. Farrar
"Jättiläisrotta (Secret Eye) cycles between rumbling free jazz, airy tribalism, and spaced-out Day of Niagara sessions. They manage also to slip the lovely underwater, near-folk strum-a-long "Ahoistava Haisemisen Loordi" into the mix. "Prinssihalonen" kicks up a chiming psychedelic vortex as powerful as anything Avarus has done to date. The strings are skyrockets and the boom-crash chugga-chugga drums are a treat. Throughout, think Sunburned Hand of the Man, perhaps the collective's best, kindred analogue." - Brandon Stosuy for Pitchforkmedia.com
"Avarus have reached new heights on "Jättiläisrotta." This is fun music. It's about sitting down with friends with a few drinks and having a good time. Now if only every such encounter would produce such fantastic aural results. Avarus are definitely one-of-a-kind." - Brad Rose for Foxy Digitalis
Lal Lal Lal/Secret Eye Records, 2004