TEST OF WILLS

Anyone into the 'aggressive progressive' thing needs some Magellan. This is the sole opus I own by them, but then I can't imagine them pulling off anything more infectious, clever or well arranged than this quite superior CD. Maybe I'm wrong! Anyway it manages to cast many of my other albums in it's shadow with it's compelling mix of quirky grandeur and crunching metal riffs. Notably and blissfully absent are widdly, showoffy guitar/keys solos, bland AOR vocals and other unpleasantness inflicted by the mega-unit-shifting likes of Dream Theater et al. These guys, in the spirit of pioneers like Tull, Genesis & Rush, play to serve the music and it's advancement toward the goal of uniqueness, rather than just their egos. And the trombone is a nice touch!