MONUMENT

MAJESTIC is an American group and a personal project apart; metal, new prog, melodic prog rock, atmospheric rock, progressive metal in general; I got to know him with the album "Arrival" in 2009, as time goes by. It is above all the work of Jeff Hamel at the beginning, guitarist of OSMIUM then under the name of MAJESTIC, combining prog ambiences of the 70s with acoustic, symphonic, melodic and metal prog. This album is its 10th and offers long epic tracks with stratospheric keyboards, psychedelic atmospheres and progressive variations, enough to throw headlong into a long and sustained listening. 6 years after his "Epsilon" let's see where he is! "Resist On High" with a spatial intro as we like them for a melodic and energetic crescendo, a soft then nervous rise, psyche break which seems improvised around 4 minutes and then it starts again on a male voice this time before a second final break psyche, hovering over a flight of notes à la TANGERINE DREAM astonishing while we were on a prog metal structure a few moments before. "Silent Horizons" and a majestic intro, uh majestic, pompous, grandiloquent but very beautiful, launching the symphonic melody à la AYREON but more beautiful, which puts you in the ear; more beautiful, longer, stronger at a time when Arjen seems to be exhausting in my opinion, Jeff transcends himself here to give an extraordinary opus; the angelic female voices also being there for this objective observation, a sequel in a more conventional AOR line for this insane, heavy, deaf riff, taking around 8 and 14 minutes interspersed with a blood-curdling siren; this minimalist riff is also immense, dragging you into a trance there; spatial variation à la MONSTER MAGNET after waves rising / falling and the association of male and female voices, finally a guitar solo to melt the rare recalcitrant. "The Wastelands" and a beautiful but indescribable intro to repeat, film music, BANKS, it's a bit world music, ethereal music, hovering music, circumspection; the voice is pitched high here, a similar riff suddenly boosts the atmosphere for a few moments before setting off again in meditative meanders; in my opinion the most progressive of his pieces more Genesisian than Ayreonesque which proves that Jeff listened, stored and thought a lot before composing this track; celestial grandiloquent symphonic end. "Endless Ages" and spatial intro; flute then start at ETERNITY X which I am still amazed not to understand how this album did not gain more notoriety, end of parenthesis. Halfway through, this arabizing and hovering space-time makes you doubt the progressive metal label that still stuck to it, it is immense, contemplative, meditative and bewitching; the final goes up, starts to delirium and leaves on breathtaking guitar riffs and synths, well I put the title back! "Legacy" always with a worked intro, one that confuses you from the start, one that forbids you to know where the music will take you; gentle rise then energetic, the instruments fall into place, it's fresh, spatial, airy, the rhythm becomes heady, the guitar becomes metallic as the title progresses, the second quasi-instrumental title in fact. Note the keyboard every 8 minutes, I'll let you listen I can't explain everything. A certainty, a joyful crescendo at the antipodes of progressive lands, at the limits of the musical maelstrom which still makes us listen to music, PINK FLOYD, HAWKWIND, TANGERINE DREAM, MONSTER MAGNET during his musical interludes come to mind. "Monument" for the ... monument of the album, 24- minute river track harder in rhythm, riffs diffused at the SACRILEGE of "Within The Prophecy" after yet another beautiful intro; the sung part breaks the air with a difficult excursion, it grooves, it starts with CAIRO, MAGELLAN, AYREON again; spatial digression towards 13 minutes, VANGELIS-style sounds for the voices; here you have to take the time to settle down; you shudder, you are moved even though the duration may seem long, it is a more monolithic, a little less exciting, crescendic sequel that can take your concentration out of breath. Note therefore two bonuses available on the Bandcamp platform "Clover Suite 2020" of the original of 2009, in four parts, Jessica with the voice like a remix of the different titles with heavy symphonic prog, vocals, atmospheres, space lands icy inhospitable, musical breaks with acoustic guitar, return of female voices then metal break, in short, it's up to you to make your film because it is more a piece to listen to than to analyze or attempt to dissect; the only thing I can say is that it is Dantesque. "Silent Horizons Reprise" as its name suggests for an acoustic revisit of the title as if to gently descend from the extraordinary musical experience that I did well to take in chronicle.

MAJESTIC therefore merges sounds ranging from DREAM THEATER, YES, DEEP PURPLE, GENESIS, AYREON, RIVERSIDE, PORCUPINE TREE, also HEART and PAT BENATAR for the voice of Jessica; a unique sound in the line of SAVIOR MACHINE for their long musical developments. Strong passages with other atmospheres, soft intros with explosions on frenzied crescendos. I was afraid to hear melodic prog metal, I just ended up having one of the best albums of the year, that you always have to see it through.