ATTAHK

Attahk ? 1978 (3.2/5) 11 ? Best Song: Maahnt Akin to the moniker that's been granted to Magma's 1978 release, this is heavy-handed, melodrama-drenched battle music. It kicks off with a forceful Jazz-fusion rave-up (piano and blabbering in tow) in the name of 'The Last Seven Minutes', which is the very first song that's been titled in English, or are the record companies acting as translating intermediaries now? What a noble act. Perhaps we could persuade Verve recordings to reissue the Billie Holiday boxset sans garbage next time. But you wouldn't know what I'm talking about, would you?

I said this was battle music, but it's really only that way for the first song. This then gets stranger by becoming possibly the most accessible and diverse album Vander ever had in him. 'Spiritual (Negro Song) sounds exactly what a southern gospel church choir would sound on a Kobaian Sunday morning. Following immediately is 'Rinde (Eastern Song)', which is a piece of futuristic Asian morose pop. It's supposed to be a haunting dirge, but it comes off to me as sounding rather directionless. I still enjoy myself. The music is entertaining and unique ? there's idiosyncrasy there! I'm just not having the best of times at this juncture. The idea starts wearing thin and you realize the weakness the band has in honest songwriting ability. The only real highlight here is the Wizard battle, 'Maahtn', with it's raging introduction and aggressive rhythm section. The rest seems awfully raw and uninspiring. I think it may be wearing off, that is to say the lava charm.