My loyal followers will recall a review of the band Magrathea back in 2015 just as the holiday confetti and glitter were being swept off the floor. Well, this week I took the Concert Closet back to 1995--hard to find those settings on the GPS--and a listen in as Magrathea released their first album "Underclouds" in re-mastered form. I usually enjoy stepping into the way-back machine; it isn't often the search for all things prog travels in reverse...
The album starts with the title cut and immediately you are hit square in the forehead. Magrathea refers to themselves as a symphonic prog band with some dark moments and a quirky humour. This cut rides the darkness a bit and then quickly throws brighter colors at the canvas in a spin-art sort of way; you find yourself racing in your mind to keep up with the tempo and time changes. There is a Be Bop Deluxe aroma wafting in the air...much the way Bill Nelson toys with your senses and rationale, so to Magrathea comes right at you from all directions.
Moving along the disc, I am immediately grabbed by the fourth cut, "Slave to the Machine." Guitars work a frantic pace, being held by the tether of drums and bass. The tempo comes down just long enough to fill the lungs with oxygen...and swiftly the mind blows continue. Magrathea emits top notes of Marillion and perhaps a thin layer of Rush as they build a crescendo of sound only to let the air out just before it engulfs you completely...and thus begins a cycle of excitement that whisks you through 6 plus minutes of frenzy...and prog bliss...
Liner Notes...the Magrathea of 1995 had a slightly different look than the band performing today. The line up for the original "Underclouds" release was Gary Gordon on bass, Glenn Alexander on keyboards and vocals, Jason Smith on guitar, and Gary MacDonald on drums. Gary Gordon and Glenn Alexander, the original founding members of the band, continue to control the direction of the band. Of course in the prog garden the only thing that never changes is change--and therein lies the beauty. Gary MacDonald and Jason Smith have moved on to other projects. However; after leaving in 2003, Gary MacDonald returned to Magrathea in 2007 to record an as yet unreleased EP entitled "Antiques." Perhaps more time travel when this disc hits the airwaves...
The carousel filling the guitar position-- a la Spinal Tap--has Gary Gordon holding down both lead and bass guitar currently.
The current line-up continues to work on new music and are currently putting the finish to their latest album, due for release in early 2017. For now, let us enjoy Magrathea vintage 1995. My final cut for review is "The Lion's Den." A track from the darker side of the prog garden, you feel an almost tribal rhythm moving through the headphones...and as delicate as a ball-peen hammer, vocals start to to break through to the surface. The drums cut a path across semi-rough terrain as guitar work breaks in and begins shining a brighter light on the entire piece.
Magrathea has been through several line-up changes and taken their music across much prog garden acreage as a result. Carrying top notes of early Genesis, Marillion, and King Crimson, Magrathea has a chameleon like ability to move in and out of sub-genres encompassed by the prog umbrella, making the band a must listen for progheads across the spectrum. To find out more about Magrathea and purchase "Underclouds" in its remastered form, check out Magrathea Bandcamp. You will find links to purchase this as well as all their other albums...and as you know I encourage all my loyal followers to support the bands of the prog garden. Magrathea can also be found on Facebook at
Magrathea FB and on Twitter @Magrathea5.
This week I offer you a link to a song but no video. No need to worry; close your peepers and Magrathea paints a vivid picture on the other side of your eyelids. This cut is called "Interactive Dreamers;" quite fitting I thought...
http://magrathea.bandcamp.com/track/interactive-dreamers-2
The opening offers all the evidence you need as to why Magrathea lays claim to symphonic acreage; but give the piece time to wash over your auditory canals and fill your head with imagery and sound...perhaps twice around the garden to get the full effect. The keyboards flow with the guitar like melting butter filling the crevices of a hot Belgian waffle, and the drums keep you focused. 1995 was a pretty good year...
The Concert Closet has been enjoying the search for all things prog for a while, and the search will continue on..so long as there are new and undiscovered bands bands dotting the prog landscape, my mission is never complete. At the risk of sounding like a PSA however, I continue to ask you to support Magrathea and and the dozens of other bands reviewed here on these pages. I have always thought of the prog garden as a family of sorts... we who look for more from the music we listen to.
Magrathea has shown the ability to re-invent themselves while traveling different paths throughout the prog garden. Taking tangent roads with side projects and other bands does not deter them from continuing their journey; I believe it is quite the opposite. The "extra-curricular" work helps Gary and Glenn keep Magrathea fresh, and this album--despite being originally recorded in 1995--helps drive that point home. Staying one step ahead sometimes requires a look in the rear view mirror; it helps to know where you've been when deciding where you want to be.
As always my fellow progheads I will continue the search for all things prog, scanning the globe for the latest and best in undiscovered prog beauty...but I must alter course slightly. Moving forward I will post every other week. This will allow me to spend ample time listening to the music, connecting with the band, and presenting to you the best review possible. So please enjoy the music of Magrathea...until next time...
Fantastic Vinny! :-D
ReplyDelete