SEVEN

"Seven": "Seven" is only the second album of MAGENTA, but it's a concept album about the seven deadly sins. Now that we've sorted out the numbers, we can talk about the music and if you know their previous album "Revolutions", you know you're in for a treat.

I know they say that every female vocalist in progressive rock reviews is compared with Annie Haslam, but with Christina, I don't have any other option. She just sounds so much like her. She has the same crystal clear, pure sound. She sings as if it's the easiest thing in the world. Her voice has an incredible reach and is never out of pitch. She's a real natural born singer.

The production of this album is one of the best I've ever heard. Every instrument is perfectly in balance with the rest. Every detail is audible. The use of a real symphonic orchestra also adds up to the perfection of the sound.

You can hear references to a lot of other bands in their music, but that's what they want. The liner notes in the booklet of their first album "Revolutions" said: "Any similarities or coincidences with any bands past or present is entirely intentional!" So you can't blame them if you say that pieces of Envy remind you of the ending of "Entangled" by GENESIS, that some of the vocal harmonies really sound like Yes on "90125", that you clearly hear references to other bands like IQ, SPOCK'S BEARD and others and that the opening of "Sloth" gives the same feeling as "The Division Bell " of PINK FLOYD.

There are some differences with "Revolutions". First of all, Rob Reed does only backing vocals. On the previous album he also did some of the lead vocals, but it must be difficult to compete with a singer as Christine, and he's not a top notch singer (although he was allright during the live show I attended). So Christina is the only lead singer now, but you can hardly call that a punishment. The tracks are shorter than on "Revolutions" (well, most of them still last longer than ten minutes), where the tracks lasted more than 20 minutes and were a collage of shorter pieces. On "Seven", the tracks are easier to get into, less complex.

So, with top quality vocals, skilled musicians and very strong tracks, I can only say, three out of three ain't bad, is it?

I prefer "Seven", but I think every progressive rock fan will want both of them. And if you don't have enough yet there's an extra EP "Broken".

"Broken": If you order "Seven" on-line on the site of F2 music, you get a special offer for "Seven" and an extra EP "Broken" of which the official release is only for June 1st.

For the first time, MAGENTA appears as a complete band on a disc. Rob Reed played most of the instruments on "Seven" but here you can hear the band that's announced on their website. The title track is a very accessible song, with a hook that stays in your mind. "Call me" is a great ballad, with, as in every MAGENTA track, an awesome instrumental piece. "Lemminkainen's Lament" was originally intended for a Finnish compilation, but they gave it a Celtic touch with a uillean pipe sound, again a great ballad. "Opus 3" is Rob Reed on church organ stepping in the footsteps of Rick WAKEMAN. "Sloth" is the same track as on "Seven" but the guitar part is played by the strings. This single is a fine bonus if you take the special offer from F2music, but I hope it will get to the shops when it's released later this year.

>>> Review by Danny (9/10) <<<