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░ ██ ██ Artist: Serious Black ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Magic █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-09-22 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: AFM Records ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Ltd.Ed. ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ For fans of Aldaria, Vanishing Point, Lords of █
█ Black, Astralion, or Sinbreed, Serious Black █
█ featuring members of some of the finest Power █
█ Metal bands around (Helloween, Blind Guardian, Tad █
█ Morose, Firewind), have released this new album, █
█ Magic, on the AFM Records label. █
█ █
█ A concept album, vocal God Urban Breed █
█ (Bloodbound, Tad Morose, Pyramaze) and his band of █
█ MetalÆs heavyweights take on the subject of the █
█ fantasy and mystery behind the practice of magic, █
█ as the album tells the account of the storyÆs lead █
█ character, Mr. Nighmist, as he relives his youth, █
█ and his decision to return to Caldwell Town. As █
█ the story plays out, one learns that all is not █
█ well, as the people of Caldwell Town begin to feel █
█ betrayed, as a curse is now gripping the residents █
█ as a witch resolves to put her evil spell on those █
█ who cross her path. While all the while Mr. █
█ Nighmist must come to terms with his feelings of a █
█ lost true love, his desire to return to her, while █
█ at the same time using magic to help his people in █
█ their time of crisis. An incredible story to tell █
█ indeed, so after learning the tale behind Magic, █
█ it becomes even more significant that the lyrics █
█ tell the saga at hand, and keep those lyrics █
█ strong, as parallel themes of romance, evil, fear, █
█ and longing also creep their way into the █
█ storyline. █
█ █
█ As for the feel of Magic, it is energetic and █
█ active, with always something to listen to. The █
█ sound is melodic and full, the talents of all the █
█ band members are evident, and several of these █
█ songs are catchy and made for a fantastic listen. █
█ The idea of a taking on the duties of releasing a █
█ concept album is a tricky one. Lyrics have to make █
█ sense, the music well played and the sound has to █
█ be filled with passions and emotion. When taking █
█ on such a topic as magic, that subject becomes █
█ even harder to write songs about, as it is █
█ difficult at best to write lyrics about magic, █
█ opposed to say, love, mythical creatures, or █
█ travels to faraway lands. But here, the band does █
█ an admirable job. █
█ █
█ With a sound somewhere between Power Metal and █
█ Melodic Metal, with the vibe of Sonata Arctica, █
█ and Kamelot also shining through, the music of █
█ Magic is friendly and inviting. By the end of the █
█ CD the story plays out nicely and each song gives █
█ way in fine fashion to the song after it. A note █
█ must be made to the overall sound, as it was █
█ brilliant, and so easily heard was each individual █
█ note, and as these notes made up individual █
█ musical bars, it all mixed together well, and one █
█ can tell the producer made it a point to keep the █
█ music focused and not meander. The vocals of the █
█ always-great Urban Breed was as good as one would █
█ expect from such a veteran singer. Vocal harmonies █
█ coming from the choruses were terrific, the █
█ keyboards and guitar work was a standout, together █
█ they meshed well, and the rhythm section kept █
█ these songs moving forward at an even pace. █
█ █
█ Opening Magic is the short introduction ôA Tip Of █
█ The Hat,ö that introduces the listener to Mr. █
█ Nighmist, the albumÆs leading man who welcomes all █
█ to his world as he starts on his journey to his █
█ understanding of the world of magic and wanting to █
█ help those in need. Thus the music kicks off in █
█ earnest and each band member delves right in using █
█ each individual instrument to accentuate the tale █
█ at hand. █
█ █
█ From there, listen to the dark tone of ôBurn! █
█ Witches Burn!ö the eerie acoustic guitars of █
█ ôSkeletons On Parade,ö the heavy vibe of the █
█ furiously fast CD highlight, ôThe Witch Of █
█ Caldwell Town,ö (god, pay attention to the █
█ keyboards on this one,) the hard hitting but pure █
█ Melodic sound of ôLone Gunmen Rule.ö The mid tempo █
█ ôNow YouÆll Never Knowö features the incredible █
█ piano work of the supremely talented Jan Vacik, █
█ while ôI Can Do Magicö is the very definition of █
█ Power Metal as the music soars, the guitars are █
█ harmonic, and the vocals layered while fantastic █
█ keyboards lay a solid melody. ôTrue Love Is Blindö █
█ was excellent, and again on ôJust Kill Meö and on █
█ ôOne Final Songö a gorgeous piano is these songs █
█ highlight. █
█ █
█ So in conclusion Magic does take itself extremely █
█ seriously. But in its defense, it has to. Imagine █
█ an album taking on such a topic as magic and █
█ listening to ridiculous lyrics and thus the story █
█ gets lost, then quickly boredom sets in, and it █
█ becomes a chore to sit through. Here though, Urban █
█ Breed and company do what they do well. Overall, █
█ this is a great collection of songs, with its █
█ strong points being, of course, the story, the █
█ voice of Breed, and the musicianship of all the █
█ band members. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ CD 1/2 : ░
░ 1. With A Tip Of The Hat 0:56 ░
░ 2. Binay Magic 4:06 ░
░ 3. Burn! Witches Burn! 4:18 ░
░ 4. Lone Gunman Rule 3:07 ░
░ 5. Now You'll Never Know 4:14 ░
░ 6. I Can Do Magic 3:57 ░
░ 7. Serious Black Magic 4:35 ░
░ 8. Skeletons On Parade 5:59 ░
░ 9. Mr. Nightmist 4:02 ░
░ 10. The Witch Of Caldwell Town 4:43 ░
░ 11. True Love Is Blind 4:04 ░
░ 12. Just Kill Me 4:16 ░
░ 13. New Found Freedom 3:26 ░
░ 14. One Final Song 8:39 ░
░ CD 2/2 : ░
░ 1. Temple Of The Sun (Intro) (Live) 1:26 ░
░ 2. Akhenaton (Live) 5:00 ░
░ 3. Castor Skies (Live) 5:06 ░
░ 4. Older And Wiser (Live) 4:42 ░
░ 5. Trail Of Murder (Live) 4:38 ░
░ 6. As Long As I'm Alive (Live) 4:52 ░
░ 7. Sealing My Fate (Live) 4:33 ░
░ 8. I Seek No Other Life (Live) 4:50 ░
░ 9. Setting Fire To The Earth (Live) 4:43 ░
░ 10. High And Low (Live) 3:50 ░
░ 11. As Daylight Breaks (Outro) (Live) 1:21 ░
░ 105:23 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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