by Amit Peled
With a long intensifying drone we are introduced with “Opus Imperfectus Pt.1 The missing chord,” the first puzzle piece from ‘Maestro’ the newest release from Norway’s ‘Magic Pie’. With just about 25 years of musical creation in their rearview mirror, Kim Stenberg and his team are back with a massive new album which takes us on a prog rock journey that passes through all the stations of the genre.
“Opus” begins with a four and half minute overture which then brings us to Stenberg’s voice with its immediate resemblance to David Bowie. More than just comparisons between genres, the group’s strong musical connection and tight performance is noticeable in each part. The Ebow sustains, the Mellotron pads, and many other traits of traditional prog rock are utilized with class as the tune transitions from segment to segment. The group executes their parts not only with precision but also with class and groove. It’s often easy to overlook the ‘Rock’ in ‘Progressive Rock’ but the rhythm section manages to keep a great groove even during the more dense parts of their arrangements. The guitar solos (and there are plenty of them) on this track showcase bluesy phrasing and more spacious playing that quickly jolts into chopier parts with ease. Different meters from the numeric spectrum are changing fluently from 4/4 to 7/8 and 6/8. All feel like their use is for the sake of the piece and not the other way around.
As the group chants about the Maestro and the birth of music, a piece of lyrics which is not usually seen anywhere outside the boundaries of prog rock, we finish this strong opening track and transition to “By The Smokers Pole,” a rock ballad intro with Ebows and clear guitars that resonate with rich tremolo movement. As the track develops and grows along with Rhodes keys. There’s a constant mixture between classic rock instrumentation and flavors along with a more experimental playing. The high register guitar slide parts then lead us into a deep guitar solo which peaks in dual guitar harmonies and sends this song out.
“Name It To Tame It” – which was recently introduced to the world in the form of a great musical video, is driven by a deep blues rock riff. ‘No use wasting time debating, the writing’s on the wall’ sings Stenberg as the band swiftly change gears from blues 4/4 to a cunning part in 12/4 as they keyboard part keeps drifting away from the melody, we then quickly lunch into some truly dashing soloing between Henanger (a.k.a “Keyboards virtuoso”) and Hauksson who plays both guitar solos on this track with grace and lush tones that range from the blues onwards to tight chops. Utby’s drumming shines strong as one last guitar solo tears the roof off of this song.
“Kiddo..” begins with distant winds, acoustic guitars, and a soft fretless bass part played by Holstad. Despite the gentle, subtle tones, and as the organ plays away, we realize this song is a red flag. A warning telling us we’re losing control of our lives by social media famous-nobodies turned trend-setters. Over stimulated into brain rot, and with that in mind we crash right into “Someone else’s wannabe” – A powerful rock beat with a dizzy keyboard spiraling in its core. From straight forward four on the floor drum parts to big sounding themes and harmonies that remind of the Who’s ‘Tommy’, this tune rocks away and again shows the importance of a rocking backbone in prog rock. Henanger delivers a smokin’ organ solo which turns into a tour de force of the band. One more note is that the group maintains their high energy and manages to keep the tune interesting for seven minutes and change, not an easy task whatsoever.
“Everyday Hero”, which starts like a caffeinated version of Tool’s ‘Jambi’, is another great modern-classic-rock tune. This ‘regular joe’ anthem features some over-the-top solos that blast out of control along with a tough beat. Easy to see why this tune got picked as a single.
Magic Pie closes ‘Maestro’ with “Opus Imperfectus Pt.2 Maestro,” epic and triumphant, we see a band of seasoned musicians talking about their legacy, the stuff that will remain after their time and that stuff that won’t. There’s something special about catching an honest moment where we see someone contemplating their life’s work and career. It seems like the band is trying to celebrate what they’ve made as they keep honing their craft while at it. Maestro is a testament to a band that keeps pushing themselves further. Now take a seat and listen while the maestro does his thing.
1. Opus Imperfectus Pt.1 – The missing chord
2. By the smoker’s pole
3. Name it to tame it
4. Kiddo
5. Someone else’s wannabe
6. Everyday hero
7. Opus Imperfectus Pt.2 – Maestro
“Maestro” is now available to pre-order at:
Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/artists/magic-pie/
Bandcamp: https://magicpie.bandcamp.com/album/maestro
US shop: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/pre-orders
