FRAGMENTS OF THE 5TH ELEMENT

Norwegian prog-rockers Magic Pie happen to be one of the most well-received modern bands in the genre, signifying the importance of the Northern European progressive rock scene since the mid-90s, and while they may not release records all too often, when they do, they really are some of the best of that year. This happens to be the case with their fifth album 'Fragments of the 5th Element', released in 2019, and not by chance, featuring five bombastic compositions dedicated to, broadly, love. This is the shortest album by the Pie to day, clocking in at around 46 minutes, intelligently split (in the style of the classic albums) in two by the grandiose 23-minute final epic track 'The Hedonist'.

The band started out playing covers and soon after were convinced to record original compositions, gradually presenting throughout the years their appreciation for various kinds of rock music, combining aspects of the genre's history from the decades of the 70s, the 80s and the 90s. Essentially a prog band with strong hard and glam rock leanings, it seems like Magic Pie have a sound of their own that is on full display on 'Fragments of the 5th Element' - this fantastic record kicks off with the hard-rocking 'The Man Who Had It All', a song that smells of Heep for good. Then comes 'P & C' (or 'Pleasure & Consequences') is another heavy keyboard-driven song that goes to show Pie's masterful skills at writing great melodies combined with memorable lyrics and intricate instrumentation. 'Table for Two' has a more laid-back tone, this is one of the more melancholic tracks on the album, some great guitar work here from Kim Stenberg and gorgeous Bowie-esque vocals by Eirikur Hauksson. The 8-minute 'Touched by an Angel' is a slower, guitar-centered composition, reminiscent of some 21st century neo-prog. Finally, the behemoth track 'The Hedonist' completes this absolutely stunning and excellent 2019 release; Undoubtedly the best track on the album, this proggy epic is full of blistering guitars, masterful keyboards, great hooks, playful lyrics, and sublime instrumental passages - everything you might need from a 23-minute song is in there.

And there goes this one - a compact album, a straight-to-the-point strategy with the songwriting and a decisiveness to showcase their full set of skills, Magic Pie have composed one of the most enjoyable and well-performed progressive rock albums of 2019 (and perhaps, of their decade).