MAGICK TOUCH - Blades, Chains, Whips & Fire

March 3, 2018, 6 years ago

(Edged Circle Productions)

Mark Gromen

Rating: 6.0

review heavy metal magick touch

MAGICK TOUCH - Blades, Chains, Whips & Fire

Norway isn't known for the style of music this trio ply on their sophomore effort, especially in the black metal capital of Bergen. In fact, outside of the superior, Oslo based Flight, have never heard such a traditional, clean voiced classic rock/proto-metal hybrid coming from Norge. Big German metal publications have (somewhat erroneously) made comparisons to the biggest bands of the ‘70s and ‘80s, citing Deep Purple/Whitesnake and Kiss. Obviously raised on that era's greatest hits of North American FM radio, each of the ten tracks is seemingly a different touchstone. A one band jukebox, as it were.

Most of the songs end in less than four minutes, apart from the concluding titular number, which lasts 6:18, longer than the opening pair, combined! (Videos for said pair, wah wah guitar “Under The Gun” and Thin Lizzy-ish “The Great Escape” can be found online). The start (and recurrent bridge) of “Midnite Sadusa” borrows liberally from “Cat Scratch Fever” (Ted Nugent), while “Polonium Blues” ventures into sludgy funk. Think stoner Chili Peppers. “Believe In Magick” could be the sanitized “rock” of Triumph, circa Sport Of Kings. Or maybe Night ranger. The mid-tempo shuffle and ride cymbal in “Siren Song” owe a debt to GnR. “Lost With All Hands” is a second helping of ‘80s Sunset Strip aggression. There's a recurrent voiceover cropping up in “Electrick Sorcery” (somewhat paradoxically, the title of their debut album, back in 2016). The plodding finale is as metal as something call “Blade, Chains, Whips & Fire” conjures up. Adventurous, but in the future, need to solidify their best moments, for a more coherent effort.



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