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Magic Pie, Fragments Of The 5th Element, 2019

magic pie - fragments of the 5th elementAlbum number 5 for these Norwegian musicians. And 3 of the earlier albums you can find on these pages! And if you go look those up, you will find that not only they were the second band to get featured here, but so far I have loved everything they released!

And let me tell you upfront, nothing has changed in that respect. If you, like me, love melodic progrock with a bite and stellar playing, brought with a vibrancy and energy that is impossible to resist, you do not read on. Just go buy the thing!

Okay, if you are still here, you are either curious to read my thoughts, or just have too much time on your hands 😉 Whatever the case, I cannot stress enough how I love this band’s music. Always melodic, with loads of harmonies (2 lead singers and 3 additional vocalists), clever arrangements with songs / lyrics that do bring a smile on your face. And last but certainly not least, the musicians… For me Kim Stenberg is a player that can combine lightning fast shredding with above average melodic phrasing. But the whole band play tight and change style, tempo and metre in a heartbeat.
For the occasion they also recorded an epic track;  album closer The Hedonist clocks in at almost 23 minutes. And is still entertaining as hell.

Another winner then, kudos!

Website

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Magic Pie, King For A Day, 2015

Magic Pie - King For A DayThis band is amongst the first to get a feature here on the blog, and with good reason. It is always hard guessing how many people into prog are into them, but as they seem to keep progressing (hey I love any album from them even if not all are presented here) I am sure many will find at least something to their liking on this album.

Let’s start with the songs. There are 6 on the album, but as it is clocking in at 70 minutes, you will understand we have long ones on board. Something that seems obligatory for some fans to be taking seriously these days. 🙂  Well if 2 songs of 12 minutes and one of over 27 do not tickle your fancy, then I guess nothing ever will.
Other goodies include rhythmic changes lurking around any corner, melodies that nest themselves in your head within seconds and vocals and harmonies that can compete with the best of them. One thing I must not forget to mention is the guitar work. A tad more heavy than before I think, but with a great transparent sound, without losing a punch. And the solos… just plain awesome.

All in all I am tempted to say this may be their best yet and I recommend everyone into the genre to buy it on sight.

Website

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Magic Pie, The Suffering Joy, 2011

magic pie - the suffering joyWhen I started this blog, now a little over 3 years ago, Magic Pie was among the first bands to get a feature here. So I am really happy to write about them again, as I believe this band is criminally underrated. But maybe that is just my misconception, and all you guys and girls already own this album?

Anyway, just in case some lines about why I like this band so much. Should you not be aware: this is a progressive rock band, and they frequently use the hammond organ (yummie!). Their songs will tick all the right boxes for any conservative member of the prog rock community and I still think they are a modern band and enrich their music with a lot of contemporary ideas. So you still have the epics, (A Life´s Work with 24 minutes and Tired with 15 minutes) the instrumental parts, solos, dynamics, and whatever we think necessary. But also fantastic vocal melodies, awesome harmonies, intricate arrangements and more exotic instruments like the flute. And all played with style and an awesome level of energy. And more musical ideas in one song than many can put in a whole album. And still without me ever getting a lost feeling.

So you bet I like this band and fully recommend them to all of you that are still reading. I mean, all the others already own this, or?

Website

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Magic Pie, Motions of Desire, 2005

magic pie - motions of desireThanks to a great sell out action from the good folks at ProgRock Records I was able to lay my sweaty hands on a batch of so far unknown bands (to me that is).

An album that I liked instantly upon first play was Motions of Desire, from Magic Pie.  I believe they are from Norway, and recently suffered the loss of all their equipment due to the burning down of their rehearsal room. So hopefully I can encourage some more people to buy one of their records as I believe they deserve it.

Why I like this record?: lot´s of melody, great Hammond playing, riffing guitars, and multi layered vocals always do it for me 😉 The way they are able to combine the strengths of bands like Spock´s Beard, Deep Purple or Uriah Heep, with some pop sensibilities puts them high on my favelist. Plus they don´t shy away from playing epic tracks, without making them sound forced. Just lots of light and shade. Oh, and their guitar player knows his way around the frets, awesome!

The production is spot on, so all I have left to say is; find the albums and buy them! Personal play tips: Change,  Motions of Desire, Without Knowing Why

Site: http://www.magicpie.net/kat/000046.asp