CHAMELEON

I had the pleasure of seeing Magenta live for the first time a couple of weekends ago at Celebr8 Prog fest in London. I picked up a copy of Chameleon after being rather impressed with their live show.

This is the bands 5th studio album and features a selection of very catchy, but unmistakably prog rock tracks. Many of which are driven by some very fun and interesting synth lines, and this is one of the reasons this CD stands out. The other is the vocals of Christina Booth; her vocals soar over, and compliment the music beautifully. Her vocal style does remind me a little of Julianne Regan (All About Eve) and adds a bit of a folksy feel to proceedings.

I've given this CD quite a few spins and I still can't decide what my favourite track is. Definite highlights are the first two tracks ? Glitterball and Guernica. They are both upbeat, feature some interesting musical passages, and gnarly over the top synth. It's great!

I have to say I don't think the production on this release is that good, the drums seem lacking, and the guitars lost at points. As a personal preference I would like to see the band let rip a bit more; there are some really great build-ups on this album but most of the time they never really amount to much, you're always left waiting for the hit.

Overall I really enjoyed Chameleon; Magentas skill at song writing just shines through on this release. I'd like to see them get a little heavier in places, but I think many would disagree. If you ever get the chance to see them live, you will not be disappointed!