SEVEN

The more I listen, the bigger believer I become. I give Seven five stars and don't blink an eye. With six mini epics that all have infectious melodies, many of which will stick in your head for days, this album needs to be heard. Rob Reed has crafted an album that balances bombasm and softness with very little repetition. While categorized as Neo, you won't hear Arena, IQ, Pallas or their brethren in the sound of Seven. Instead you get a throbbing bass and wonderful drumming that drives the music, on top of which Reed throws the kitchen sink. You'll hear distinctive keyboards along with soaring guitars and moving solos. Strings are sometimes brought in and every new song and passage for that matter is something new to discover.

The concept of the seven deadly sins has been kind of turned on it's ear. Steve Reed, Rob's brother does the lyrics but is not part of the band proper. He decided to approach the sins from totally different angles, so you won't be hearing about fat guys, greedy guys or lazy guys. The stories woven are thought provoking.

And then of source you have Christina, a truly amazing vocal talent who will bring joy to female vocal enthusiasts and certainly convert some of those who are not fans of the fairer sex in prog. A perfect match for this beautiful music.

This isn't the most challenging music but what Magenta does, it does extremely well. It took me two or three listens to become hooked but many more to be able to truly appreciate the complexity of all that is going on with this album. If you are a fan of symphonic or Neo at all, this album is a must have.