LEGENDS

If I put "Legends" on in a room full of progheads, the initial reaction might be, "Is this Genesis out-takes?" Then you might hear, "No, this must be previously unreleased bonus tracks from a Fish era Marillion album." These observations would be understandable, as MAGRATHEA wears the influence of these two bands on it sleeve for this album (other recordings have some more varied influences). That is not to say that this is cloning. They do have originality to their approach, and are clearly of the modern era.

The music straddles that fine line between Neo and Symphonic. They also manage to incorporate a bit of heavier avant elements that I am so coming to love in modern Symphonic. It's not as prevalent as most of their contemporaries, but they are in tune with the times. For the most part it's just well done Symphonic/Neo prog with a very familiar feel. This may not be the thing that's going to open up a whole world of new prog for you, but it's worth the price of the CD. 3.25 stars is a fair rating for this one.

H.T. Riekels