Lately I have been feeling like the proverbial kid in the candy store. All those new discoveries and such intriguing releases! Next on my playlist is this Joseph Magazine outfit. Little mysterious bunch but oh man, did they take me by surprise. Must be one of the most thrilling releases in a long time. And yes, I have heard some excellent ones lately…
And just how did they manage that you ask? Okay, try to image a blend of Marillion, Derek Sherinian / Planet X, Dream Theater and Vangelis, but without the singers. Yeah you heard me right, no vocals. Well actually, there are some vocals present, but I doubt many of you will label them as such. Track Vision has words, but they are coming into your ears from some whispering demon, chilling, yet oh so effective! Only the final song Thorn Piece Of The Sky has a regular vocal melody.
Other tracks have sound clips, or choir like humming, but truth be told, I hardly did miss a vocalist. The musicians here are very talented and deliver one stunning part after the other. And I just can´t believe how they managed to keep me interested. Just goes to show this bunch has stories to tell, singer or not. Not all musical muscle, but lots of light and shade and melancholy as well. Only in some small parts the quantity seemed to prevail over quality, but never too long before they started to play real music again.
It is a damn shame this is a download only, I would love to own this on CD. So please, hit the site, take a listen and buy this, maybe they will change their mind. Stunning!
My Bad, there is a CD version. Just not for review purposes.
So go ahead and enjoy this!