Album baru Magenta ini tak selayaknya luput dari perhatian ….
Studio Album, released in 2011
Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Glitterball (4:30)
2. Guernica (7:03)
3. Breathe (4:23)
4. Turn the Tide (6:21)
5. Book of Dreams (7:35)
6. Reflections (2:08)
7. Raw (4:15)
8. The Beginning of the End (4:40)
9. Red (9:04)
Total time 49:39
Lyrics
Search MAGENTA Chameleon lyrics
Music tabs (tablatures)
Search MAGENTA Chameleon tabs
Line-up / Musicians
- Christina Booth/ vocals
- Chris Fry/ guitars
- Rob Reed/ keyboards, bass and guitars
guests
- Kieran Bailey/ drums
- Martin Rossert/ additional guitars (3 & 7)
Review by Gatot
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
Having known the band since its excellent debut album, I am really happy that Rob Reed and friends have finally made another new release with this Chameleon album. I did not expect much actually but when I had this album I was quite surprised with the kind of music Magenta is offering. Out of their releases I think only Home (2006) that does not stand out in my view. And now Magenta is back with another excellent album.Jump!
That’s what I did the first time I spun this album through its excellent opening. The album kicks-off beautifully with Glitterball in relatively up tempo, energetic music dominated by inventive keyboard work and powerful vocal. It’s really a great opener and it has successfully set the overall tone of the album. It’s been quite sometime that I do not play any album from Magenta ? and this album stimulates me to play their previous works. In the middle of the song there is a kind of break with guitar solo that makes this song sounds excellent overall.
The next track Guernica starts mellow with soft female vocal followed then with a dynamic music that brings together an excellent combination of keyboard, solid basslines, guitar and drumming. When the music is in full speed I can find great harmony of the music combining contributions of instruments being played. This track gives us great break with stunning acoustic guitar work. There is element of orchestration throughout the track that enriches overall composition.
Breathe is another excellent track in a style that is similar with previous tracks with the music that suddenly stops after hard opening part. The music returns back to up tempo with powerful vocal “It’s getting hard to breathe”. What is so captivating about this track is its heavy riffs and many segments of the music. Even though the music contains heavy riffs, it does not sound like a progressive metal work.
Turn The Tide starts off with an ambient vocal work backed with soft keyboard work. The vocal line of Christina Booth sounds nice right here. The music moves in mellow style with nice guitar work and basslines. Book of Dreams brings the music back to relatively medium tempo. For those who love excellent guitar solo, you fill find it in the middle of the track ? performed in a bluesy style. It moves really well from one segment to another.
Reflections is basically a short track featuring acoustic guitar work ? a nice piece of music for a break, really. Raw blasts off nicely with guitar followed with excellent guitar. The song is basically very strong in melody and harmony enriched with guitar work at background. The orchestration is good even though it sounds like a filler ? but it’s OK.
The Beginning of the End is another good track that functions as providing a break because the composition is relatively straightforward. Red concludes the album nicely with a style that starts off with an ambient keyboard work supporting the vocal line. The track moves slowly into relatively medium tempo music with good guitar work. The interlude part in the middle of the track is a bit of psychedelic in nature prior to re-entrance of vocal work.
Overall, I think this is a recommended album for those who love neo progressive as well as symphonic prog music. The album sounds cohesive from start to end. The composition is excellent in terms of melody, harmonies produced from all instruments used in the album, relatively simple in structure but it still provide challenges to the listeners. Keep on proggin’ …!
Peace on earth and mercy mild – GW
Send comments to Gatot
(BETA) | Report this review (#603905) | Review Permalink
Posted Friday, January 06, 2012
