Magneto - Requiem pour Satana
Magneto is an instrumental group founded by guitarist and composer Bartek Tyciński together with drummer and composer Hubert Zemler and bassist and composer Piotr Domagalski. From Warsaw, Poland, the band blend the realms of progressive rock and neo-jazz into lengthy instrumental suites in line with classic acts such as Tortoise and Spring Heel Jack, without as many interesting intertwining elements that made those bands stand out.
The faster paced songs on Requiem pour Satana are undeniably jammy. La Rumbia en Blanco y Negro is a timeless suite with a gorgeous atmosphere, and a drummer that steals the show. Mambolero rocks an interesting prog-rock opening segment, followed by an immaculate stream of guitar plucking and a torrent of methodical percussion. The slower songs, such as Temptation of Stingray, Henryk Hula, Garagem de Pedrinho and Requiem pour Satan, don’t work as well because there’s very little risk within the compositions, very little progression of instrumentation, and no risks taken to the timbre. It’s a shame, as the production is incredibly crisp and clear, though the musicians are completely restrained in their imaginations. In between these tempos are tracks such as Pama Rum Kwan, Danse Exotique d'un Amant Timide and Die Turkfunken. While the former has a solid opening segment, the composition sadly repeats itself far too much and relies on an unoriginal and already explored soundscape. The use of space is admiral, but it’s nothing that hasn’t been recorded before. The same could be said for the other two tracks. Thankfully, the closer MIkołaj ends the album well with its genuine and charming atmosphere.
The instrumentalists are golden, and Magneto have the right idea with their majestic, surreal soundscapes, but it’s all far too familiar territory. The band members play off each other quite well, though; with a more creative direction they could easily soar. There are many beautiful electronic elements blended throughout the album, but they seemed slapped on last minute, and never feel apart of the composition. Had the band incorporated them more and designed their songs around them, as the final moments of MIkołaj do, it would have worked infinitely better. The strongest songs on the album are fantastic, though; the overall experience is only dragged down by the filler. Nevertheless, check out the songs praised in the earlier paragraph, because they display an extremely impressive amount of talent.
Above Average
Listen to it here:
Magneto - Requiem pour Satana
