JOSEPH MAGAZINE

1. Beginning intro percussions, tribal, powerful rhythm, cinematic before the hour leaving no possible track on the sound after, sound that disconcerts 2. Vision continues, its ambient electro rock prog, singular, the kind to keep your ear alert; a pre-growl voice of Bartosz and beatitude; the crystalline keyboard boasts a heavy heavy riff; Bartosz on the guitar, therefore the other one, launches a solo in the RIVERSIDE full of sensitivity; the Google link worked well; screams in the distance and the air swells, the prog metal arrives at the right time; the finale shows the progressive metal imprint 3. Self-Examination follows starting on an instrumental prog metal space, less heavy and more melodic; an excursion that smells of the experiences of our Patrick RONDAT for example 4. Liquid Dream for the sequence that releases the riff again and the sounds of Marcin for a variation flirting with the space of DREAM THEATER; it twirls, it flows, it insinuates itself into all the compartments of the ears, a bit of KING CRIMSON then RUDESS again; surprising and very interesting with the ambient air in the background; the feeling of having a bed of notes becomes obvious during the finale with a fluid guitar solo 5. Holy Land changes course and returns to the electro-prog atmosphere, today's AMAROK reminds me of it with this feminine voice at the start; the unfolding becomes nervous, it swells, without a misstep; the cinematic, progressive finale with Bartosz who murmurs on screaming choirs, an electro synth that prints the touch of the group; wonderful, oriental before arriving on 6. Wormwood and the return of the big heavy, heavy, rhythmic and effective sound; a dose of TNT with a djent sound and the triple pedal; the crescendo races and avoids the metallic drift thanks to the melodic keyboards; hold back this musical blaze just before rekindling the fire 7. Tower and again a sequence with a fusion metal air with a catchy riff, a hypnotizing keyboard; it's simple but it's beautiful and airy with an Olympian string part, on a RONDO VENEZIANO rock metal; the break twirls, merges, becomes jazzy metal like ZAPPA, Jordan seems to have been one of Marcin's heroes with these varied atmospheres including the finale on a folk spleen 8. Heremit follows, oriental atmosphere of a RAINBOW, LED ZEPPELIN and its famous 'Kashmir'; a title comes in instrumental that ignites the speakers, eyeing melodic prog metal with its heavy dose to not fall asleep; dark dark wave finale, a grandiloquent piano and 9. Reflection appears, interlude to settle down and... think about this truly extraordinary album that every prog fan must have at home; listen to it to remember that prog metal fusion can be divine 10. Flashback follows with the war atmosphere, explosion, screams, machine guns and screams; a NASA sound to sow doubt, we are on earth or in space protecting ourselves from the invasive sound 11. Night of the Red Sky for the eponymous title; emphasis, grandiloquence, cinematic, me who was still asking in 2020 what it was while I was listening to it without knowing it; balanced explosion, aerial guitar solo, on the edge of symphonic spleen, all reinforced by the dreamlike keyboard; the orchestration is meant to be melodic prog with its share of complexity so as not to get bored, yes the problem of many groups using progressive clichés to the dregs; the redundant and explosive finale, musical and captivating with a sound that freezes you on the lookout, bluffing, tonic, progressive and prog full stop 12. Torn Piece of the Sky as the final piece with a velvety atmospheric piano, the too rare voice of Bartosz who accompanies it, a crystalline a capella, the spleen guitar and the solemn atmosphere, in short just to throw the confusion of this extraordinary album.

4.5 really

One of the most intresting progressive metal bands I've come across in last years is for sure polish band named Joseph Magazin. They released so far a single album in 2011 named Night of the red sky. At first glance the name Joseph Magazin looks like is from a pop band from mid to late '80s, but in fact is quite opposite, is from a prog metal band from newer generation. Now, I cans ay with my hand on heart that Night of the red sky is one of the best and most well crafted prog metal albums I've ever heared, and belive me I've heard hundreds of bands from this scene in last 20 plus years. The musicianship is top notch, every instrument sounds crystal clear, colorful arrangements, lots of breaks and changes in tempo but always the melodic lines are present, no unncesary noodlings here. The atmosphere is impressive, Marcin Walecki use a large varity of keyboards palletes to create some special moods, when is very atmospheric when is all over the place, but each time in combination with Bartosz Socha guitar lines the result is excellent. Very solid druming and aswell quite impressive bass chops, complicated as hell, very very nice. The album is 95% instrumental, quite technical but yet melodic, only sporadicaly some spoken words apear here and there, so they had enough room to show that they mean bussines in this field, also the spoken words are extremly intresting. All pieces are solid as rock, this is the real deal in prog metal and how I wanted to be a prog metal album. I was very impressed and for that I'll give easy 4 stars, 4.5 in places, highly recommended for prog metal fans. Intresting art work. One of the best in this field in last years.

Interesting Prog metal coming from Poland. With a particular mix of songs, they demostrate their capabilities composing and playing so difficult parts once and again. There are songs better than others, something that I don´t like too much, and the conceptual differences could be felt sometimes.

But, analyzing tracks one by one, I just have many good impressions for their debut album. Something too difficult is to build a very good instrumental song in Prog Metal, and these guys know how to do it. In the other hand, I miss the voice too much. I have tried to understand why the voice does not appear too much, but finally I had prefered to listen more singing parts. They have a good opportunity to focus on the next album and try to consolidate together as a band and the composition ideas.

It worths it!