MAHAGON

These guys were an obscure fusion band from Czechoslovakia in the late seventies, with there only being two studio albums in their discography. I haven't listened to the second one, but this one, their eponymous debut, is chock-full of strong material. The band manages to create a serious atmosphere inside their music while also sprinkling playful aspects into it, making these cool dynamics combine neatly with the jazz elements found all over this album. They make good use of non-conventional instruments such as string, woodwind, and brass instruments while simultaneously staying true to a standard progressive rock form. This serves as a great example of the underground Czechoslovak progressive rock that was active back in the day. The album also contains influences ranging from Jethro Tull, Mahuvishnu Orchestra, and Return to Forever. The complex, almost funky arrangements along with the rapidly evolving fusion and prog come up a strong album that (in my opinion) should be more well known.

Moving on to the current album, every song offers up something great, but my personal favorite is the opening track Dny, Měsíce A Roky. This one could have very well been released as a single, because, despite its high quality in terms of eclectic material and structures written here, it has some neat hooks and sort of catchy melodies while still being able to please the listeners that like music that's more "out there", to say the least. I also enjoy how Moře Klidu takes a completely different approach and springs from low, ominous music to quirky and rushing improvisation, similar to what happened on Squarer for Maud by National Health. Apart from a brief interlude called Sen O Zemi, each of the songs on side one follow its own path while staying true to the band's unique sound. If I had to complain about something though, it would probably be the lack of length these numbers have. Side two also has its strengths, with its first song, Pisečn? Přesypy is a highlight. You can just feel the excitement and energy these guys had when they were writing and playing this type of music. It's, again, highly entertaining and complex, while not sounding pretentious or overly dramatic in its nature. I also like Půlnočni's more chillingly quiet and darkly echoeing material while also having dynamics between this and more intensely energized things. Something interesting about side two, however, is the more significant use of female chorus vocals and background singing, which was only present on one song on side one, but on side two they seem to be a main rhythm instrument (and sometimes lead) for most songs. This is a cool twist, especially how they don't sing any lyrics and just how it's just noises.

In conclusion, this is a strong album and a hidden gem within the genre. It has a sense of technicality and creativity that few artists were making at the time, combining wacky and wild songwriting with electrified musicianship. I would highly recommend this album to people interested in the jazz fusion field of progressive rock, because it will not disappoint you. This is a strong 4/5 for me.

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