ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ

A Musical Monument 35 Years in the Making

Indisputably the most ambitious and complex creative project of the rock era, the French group Magma, over the course of its 40 year history, has related in bits and pieces an alternative spiritual history of the human race from the point of view of a future, enlightened civilization, passionately sung or chanted in its unique, emotionally evocative language (constructed by the group's leader, Christian Vander.) Only in the last ten years have these works truly begun to coalesce into connected narratives in officially recorded form, cycles or trilogies that make apparent the "future history" (some label it secularly as 'science fiction' but considering the religious context of the music, I prefer 'prophecy') that Vander and his allied musicians relate. A huge step forward was the 2000 Trilogy at Trianon performance, which for the first time brought the Theusz Hamtaahk pieces together on CD and DVD. 2004's Kontarkosz Anteria extended the Kohntarkosz narrative of 1974 by adding a prequel to the story of the archaeologist scholar who discovered and explored the tomb of Emehnteht-Re, then, after experiencing a life-altering vision within, determined to complete that ancient pharaoh's spiritual work. In the liner notes to Kontarkosz Anteria, Vander noted that a third part of the story, an epic biography of Emehnteht-Re himself, already in part existed, consisting of works that had appeared under different titles on 1975's Live/Hhai (Emehnteht-Re: Announcment, Hhai), 1976's Udu Wudu (Zombies (Ghost Dance), Emehnteht-Re (extrait)?the latter a CD bonus track), and 1978's Attahk (Rindoh). Tapes of live performances from 1977 reveal that Vander has indeed had the interconnection of these pieces in his mind since the time of their creation, and extended performances of Zombies from that year contain the original version of the latter part of the present work, never before recorded. Is this 2009 CD, then, little more than a compilation, a rehashing of old ground? The answer, emphatically, is 'not at all!' Not only does the linking of works previously recorded as isolated tracks utterly transform their context and meaning, unifying them while adding fully-conceived and organic musical bridges between them, but the versions of these works presented here are so wonderfully matured from their originals that there is simply no comparison. Emehntehtt-Re (aka "The King in the Land of the Dead") is a masterpiece 35 years in the making, and it shows.

For the passionate Magma fan, this long-awaited release of the studio version of Emehntehtt-Re has been an event fraught with anticipation and anxiety. On the one hand, we've been listening to concert versions of the completed work for over two years now, and thought we knew pretty much what to expect in terms of general content, but still, the question hung heavy: would Vander and Co. get it right? Would the scintillating spirit of the live performances be captured in the sterile atmosphere of the studio? Would the production choices be too conservative, or else over-the-top, or would they achieve the proper balance in presenting this monumental work? I'm happy to report, after a week of delirious listening, that with only a few exceptions, Magma and Christian Vander got this one right. Not that this studio recording is without some shocks, even for jaded fans who thought they'd heard it all. Like the surprising addition of a second t in the name of its hero (previously known as 'Emehnteht-Re'), there is much on this CD that may upset fans who thought they were already familiar with the work, and like that additional 't,' some of these changes may at first seem a bit random, out of line with what we had been previously led to expect, and jarring. But that, in a nutshell, is Magma, who've never been content merely to repeat past years' performances or studio versions of their works on tour, but constantly experiment and reinvent. Vander wastes no time in announcing that this studio version of Emehntehtt-Re will differ from live performances: following the first, explosive chord, his voice comes in unexpectedly, intoning a narrative text (in faux Egyptian?) that we have never heard before, which is repeated in a variation in the all-new Sehe section that now closes the work. In-between, as well, there are a number of alterations in vocalizations, instrumentations, arrangements and emphases that may take listeners familiar with the live Emehntehtt-Re aback. Nonetheless, though select changes may stand out as dramatic, the bulk of the choices made on this studio recording tend towards restraint and understatement, rather than bombast or obvious effects, and the results, with few exceptions, are to the work's betterment. True, some efforts will be required of new listeners to catch the nuances and emotions in some of the more conservatively played sections (such as Rindoh), but what delightful hours of discovery await them.

The work begins with what was formerly known as Emehnteht-Re: Announcement, a stately-yet-chilling introduction to the Egyptian pharaoh that emphasizes both his magnificence and otherworldliness. The chorus of meticulously articulated voices here (as in many other moments on the album) is simply stunning, blasting ahead like a wind in a sandstorm to announce the King, while the subsequent percussion and descending male voices give the impression of the regal procession following after, advancing in leisurely stages. At about 3:00 in length, this is one of the shorter recordings of Announcement (contrast 8:00 for the Live/Hhai version) but it serves its purpose and moves on quickly, as opposed to the sometimes droning/meandering 1975 performances. A brief bridge then takes us into Rindoh, which must be counted as one of the most changed pieces from its original manifestation (on 1978's Attahk), where a much thicker operatic trilling and heavier playing in my opinion mars a delicate work. Frankly, however, although a vast improvement in studio versions, I found this recording of Rindoh too plain and conservative, lacking in beauty and spirit in comparison with live versions. As with Announcement, it seems that the Vanders went here for tightness and restraint, for whereas in concert, Stella Vander's impassioned vocals remind me viscerally of lovers who are tragically torn apart, the elegant but cool vocals here leave me largely unmoved. Particularly, the closing section at 5:55, which sounds haunting enough to give shivers in concert, here has only a faint note of tragedy. As this was one of my favorite concert moments, this cooler Rindoh left me just that, cold. And while on my few complaints, I should mention the erratic division of tracks on this CD, by which these two pieces are gathered as Emehntehtt-Re,Part I. The new division of the work, which willfully seeks to override the previous titles given to the parts, simply doesn't work. The actual divisions are still apparent enough musically to make the new title divisions meaningless, and if the full, 51 minute piece was divided merely for the convenience of the listener, a much better job should have been done in splitting the sections meaningfully. With this division, for example, one cannot skip right to the Zombies section without going through the lengthy Hhai, etc.

Emehntehtt-Re,Part II (consisting of works formerly titled Emehnteht-Re (extrait), Hhai and Zombies) for example, does not at all hold together logically as a single part, each with a strikingly different tone and mood. The first section, which has always been one of my favorites of the work, a youthful, effervescent and soulful celebration, remains so in this version, despite substantial differences in vocalization from Udu Wudu. Vander's vocal energy and crisp articulations have wonderful synergy with the flowing chorus here, and even his infamous falsetto is nicely restrained when he resorts to it for a moment of ecstasy. But the moment that floored me when I first heard this CD and continues to floor me is the bridge between this section and Hhai. Whereas a single female voice had previously announced the upcoming Hhai, here the bubbling chorus from the previous section picks up this part with great energy, resulting in a few moments of absolutely orgasmic harmony in which?as with the best of Magma?my mind seems for an instant to separate from my body and go soaring through the clouds. Hhai itself, a heartfelt pledge of faith and fealty to sacred principles, continues the restrained approach that characterizes the album as whole, in this case, however, much to the benefit of the work. Gone, for example, are those solos between dueling synthesizers that characterized Hhai's live versions, ever on the edge of cheesiness and sometimes crossing over, and taking the place of bombast is a pure expression of spiritual certainty and strength, full of genuine feeling instead of hyperbole. This, the first studio version of Hhai, should absolutely now be considered the definitive one (and what a shame that it was not separated as a track so that we could enjoy it as such). I was also pleased to see in the booklet with lyrics accompanying the CD (a nice boon!) that I was correct about Vander using English phases in this piece: "to believe in God" and "a love supreme"?the latter a reference to Vander's musical saint, John Coltrane.

From Hhai?the proud hero, full of spiritual certainty, heading off on a sacred venture? the mood rapidly darkens to Zombies (Ghost Dance), the macabre tones of which describe a disturbing and disorienting journey to the underworld (indeed, Ementet is the Egyptian word for the Land of the Dead). This sudden shift of atmosphere leads the listener to consider the narrative and beliefs behind the work (hardly transparent from the Kobaian lyrics alone). Christian Vander has described the piece as relating the efforts of an Egyptian King, Emehntehtt-Re, to gain the secrets of immortality, a quest in which he is ultimately slain, just as he was about to achieve success. Such a mythic narrative is reminiscent of many ancient tales, most notably the Epic of Gilgamesh or Orpheus and Euridyce, which involve perilous journeys into the world of the dead, where the hero inevitably fails in his quest to overcome death. The ancient Egyptians, of course, were obsessed with what occurs after death and finding the keys to awaken immortality, believing that a heart of pure feeling, which united spirit and body, was essential for this purpose. Souls were held to be innately eternal, and could migrate, but were judged by fearful celestial figures after death, and if found wanting, the transmigrating heart could be eaten and kept from moving on. On the other hand, realization of one's true immortality could be individually gained by achieving gnosis, a full unity of body and spirit. To what extent Vander's composition was influenced by such beliefs from the Egyptian funerary text Spells for Coming Forth into the Light (popularly known as The Book of the Dead) can only be surmised, but in a work that names itself after Ementet, such background should be kept in mind.

To me, Zombies (Ghost Dance) evokes the hero's passage through legions of slow- moving but nonetheless terrifying guardian soldiers, who gather in his way and grasp at him in an effort to intimidate his entry into their world. The movements of these somnambulant, unfeeling dead are represented through lyrics consisting mostly of inarticulate 'hey-ho's 'om's and 'ah's, punctuated by wicked base lines and frenetic percussion evoking terror. Like Rindoh, the studio version here is a night-and-day improvement over its predecessor, which was marred with excessive special effects of the synthesizer. Vander's new version is not without some startling effects, however, particularly in the broken and jammed musical patterns at 20:30, which evoke in an 'in-your- face' manner the interchangeability of the masses of the dead spirits, and the impossibility of defeating them when one simply takes the place of the previous. The 21st minute of Emehntehtt-Re, Part II develops into a breakthrough, however, with the introduction of a variation on a theme from the 1974 Kohntarkosz, the first of many references to this work that suggest that the hero of the present work is laying the spiritual foundation that the hero of the next will discover and extend.

Emehntehtt-Re Part III, which thematically belongs with the preceding Zombies (Ghost Dance) continues and develops its dark, gothic tones, taking them, incredibly, into yet more sinister territory. The exact narrative content of this thirteen minute section is beyond me, but it is clear that it represents the crux of the work, a struggle of heart and mind against dark, seductive forces without or within, from out of which certain crucial spiritual insights ultimately emerge. Until recent years not heard outside of a few 1977 concert recordings, this section is notably the most musically intense of the work (and perhaps one of Magma's most complex compositions), consisting of themes that wonderfully develop, split, interplay and overlap?before collapsing onto one another and falling apart entirely in the gasping and drowning vocals at 11:11, out of which rises a soaring resolution. If two, competing forces can be separated in this intense mingling, one is epitomized by the dark, aggressive voice at 3:55 and 9:30 that chants "Wor / ehlio sohn deh wir / ehlio sohn deh wor deh wir / ehlio sohn d'ohm," whereas the other is characterized by variations of the upwardly rising themes from Kohntarkosz, which grow clearer and gain strength at 8:00, tangle with the dark theme again after 9:30, break apart and ultimately emerge, stronger than ever and seemingly triumphant (now shot through with refrains from the opening of Hhai) at the close.

After all of this intensity, Emehntehtt-Re IV is initially a return to lyricism and seemingly the aftermath of the conflict, a celebration of breakthrough. The initial crescendo of the rapidly cycling bright Kohntarkosz theme at :50 seems to represent a falling through time and space, or waking from a dream, but takes a sudden, dark downturn at its close, as though the hero did not emerge where he expected. This is followed by a beautiful solo full of bittersweet lament. We hear the hero furiously recording his discovery (the Kohntarkosz theme), perhaps realizing that his time is limited, followed by a sudden snap and single- note trailing vocal, representing the death blow and hero's shock. What has happened here? Was the breakthrough a dream, or genuine, and the King assassinated by a more earthly force? Is this his punishment for transmitting the secrets of the divine to humans, to be ultimately picked up centuries later by Kohntarkosz?

Funehrarium Kanht, an entirely new section of the work heard only in concert recordings of the past several years, is simultaneously a dark, mournful funeral procession (an inversion of the initial procession of Announcement), pulsing with pain and grief, and the draining away of the hero's life blood, with every panicked but slowing beat of his heart. The studio version, with a faster tempo and more muffled sound, is vastly superior to the clanging, clashing concert version, which seems to drag on forever. Vander's warbling voice at the close, similar to that at the end of The Night We Died, represents both extreme mourning and the brutal instant of the hero's life force leaving him.

Sehe, a brief, narrative conclusion to this profound work, spoken over haunting moans and clanging machinery, announces through slight variations on the words of the initial opening the changed state of the hero, now trapped in a gloomy underworld and awaiting salvation. My personal belief is that the chronology and deeply bleak ending of this piece hint that it should be considered the first in the Kohntarkosz cycle, followed by K.A. and then Kohntarkosz, with its soaring, triumphant conclusion.

One final choice that bears discussion is the release of this monumental work as a combination CD/DVD set. Magma fans and serious musicians will enjoying this "making of" DVD for the behind-the-scenes insights it gives to the band (who will ever forget the scene of the 61-year-old Christian Vander dancing to Zombies?) and its recording process. The DVD seems designed to show us Vander's relations with his younger musicians, and his meticulous perfectionism in the recording process. Although there are slight revelations of musical and narrative intent here and there, one wishes the DVD was less of a 'home movie in the studio' and more of a history and description of the work, as the title Phases, seemed to promise. Indeed, the most important "phase" is left out here, the recording of the vocals and most of the percussion. One also wishes, for the underappreciated Magma's own sake, that this DVD had been listed as an optional add-on with the CD, for although appreciative fans know the true value of this set and won't hesitate, others may balk at the price.

Should you be one of them, let me inform you, categorically, that for all the potential to change your life and thoughts on music that this recording holds, you should not hesitate to pay such a piddling fee one hundredfold.

Yet another triumph for Magma! I've been looking forward to this album for a couple of years now, and all the fantastic performances of the piece have been wetting my appetite and made me itch for this new masterpiece. One of the most spiritual pieces they have done in my opinion. Not much to say as far as specifics after that last reviewers comprehensive review. Very rich, dense vocals as on their last album, and fantastic playing all around particularly by Bubu on pt 3 and great playing and singing by Vander. My only beef is with the sound quality on Funerarium Khant. There is a lot of distortion when played at a loud level with a lot of bass. But that does not affect the musical brilliance of this album. Hooray for Magma!

Finally, I was able to review this. My third venture into Zeuhl territory. And also my not only first Zeuhl, but also first album listened together with my girlfriend. I'm glad she's stunned (pleasantly) by this, this ... masterpiece, same as I am. Still am

Something that can fit only to vast and faraway universe of Kobaïa. It literally got my attention, held me for these roughly 50 minutes and let me go after it ended. Few minutes after it ended. Very interesting album, even I feel that some elements starting to be well known and repeats itself. But that's OK, I just though that this magical wonderful (shiny happy, you know) world will be full of surprises endlessly. Nevermind, let's sober a little bit. OK, it's not possible, 'cause I'm still listening.

Christian Vander's voice is, well, still good, even he's XX years old. Not lost anything from his energy and potential, it's even better. First I didn't understand all these hyped ratings (9 ratings, 2 reviews, all 5-stars), but now I'm doing the same thing. It will decrease after some time I suppose, maybe even I will change my mind, but for now, it stands for

5(+) with only mistake, it can be little bit boring after some time. I felt this during first listen, but then, after repeated ones, it disappeared little bit. The problematic part is towards the end of II and for some time in III. But there's also positive thing about it, every new listen brings something new. Not patterns (piano, drums, chanting, it's very similar), but new sounds, little differences, some of them which are very important.

This is a MASTERPIECE. I HAD to review this album as a magma fan and as a MUSIC LOVER: THIS IS THE ALBUM OF THE YEAR, and here are the reasons why...

1) Christian vander`s drums are .... THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WAY HE PLAYS..... just listen to the second track on this album and you`ll see

2) Stella Vander`s voice is amazing, she can sing really high and really low, and the sound of her voice is charming

3) I DONT KNOW HOW THE HELL THEY HAVE DONE TO CREATE MUSIC LIKE THIS, HOW DO THEY REMEMBER WHAT`S NEXT? I mean the music is a PERFECT (in the good way) mess

4) It is really honest with its title, you feel like in a story in egypt when you hear this CD, listen to track 5 and try to correct what I`ve said

416843 STARS TO THIS ONE,,,,, 5 stars on prog archives

Conclution: The best magma album after MDK

The best album of the year

Wow... What a music!? I think we have finally found the best album of the year and probably one of the best albums of the decade, if not the best! My touch with zeuhl is very poor to date, but I have to change this. Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê is just unthinkable music. It's like a jewel - rare and prime. It personifies the word art - and explains some other words: perfection, unique, profound and made with wish. I think that's enough for the portrait of the album.

Now it's time to talk about the essence of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê. This is an album with perfect musicianship and extremely extraordinary songwriting. There aren't peak moments and culmination, because the whole album is a culmination. All around the album the themes are connected logically and precise. Probably there are the culminations - at the end of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê II and at the end of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê III, but as I said everything else is like a culmination, too.

Kobaïan language is again rulling over the album. The constructed (by Christian Vander) language sounds very ancient-like and helps the album being some more impressive. All the instruments are just divine. Drum, bass, piano and guitar are all incredible. I would like to mention two names: Philippe Bussonnet (bass player) and, of course, Christian Vander - who doesn't need introduction. They both play remarkable all around the album. The combination of all the instruments is highly impressive. It reveals the balance and synchronize of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê. I won't forget to talk about the vocals. The specific choir vocals brings more volumed and dinamic sound plus darkened suspense. Lead vocals made by Christian Vander and Stella Vander remind me opera singing and contribute to more classic sound of the album.

As a conclusion: one of the most undoubtful 5 stars rating for me!

If this isn't a masterpiece then what is ? Okay, this album is not ground-breaking, but Magma by itself is ground-breaking ! They've created a genre on their own ! Now this album is a dream come true. Magma maybe one of the last dinosaurs of progressive rock that has been faithful to its sounds and concepts and has never given in to the commercial aspect of music. Their latest album has all the typical Magma elements inside : fantastic choirs, some singing by Vander himself, awesome bass and drumming... ; epic crescendo music that gives you the goose bumps. This is nirvana ! Let's talk about Vander's voice. All the famous singers that have turned over 50 can't seem to sing as high as they use to. Well, Vander can ! The only aspect you won't find in this new album is the high-pitched growling that one can find in some of their albums produced in the 70s. The music is typical zeuhl and has tends to have more choir singing than other albums. Now for the sound : at last, Magma produces an album with top quality recording, something that their classic albums lack. I wish they would remaster them. Anyway, I'm going to recommend this album very strongly because I believe it has all the ingredients (creativity and musicianship) to become a true masterpiece. Only time will tell of course but you must get this one with your eyes closed and your ears wide open.

This is the first Magma album I've listened to, but considering how much I enjoyed it, it is unlikely to be the last. This is a truly stand-out recording, and represents a strong candidate for album of the year. Although I'm unable to place it within the context of the rest of Magma's discography/iconography, I can still react to Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê from a purely musical perspective, and in terms of its superior compositional structure, featuring thematic coherence and development and a great instinct for dramatic pacing, its wonderful timbres and rhythms which give it such a characteristic sound (like a mix between Yes & Messiaen), in terms of the excellent musicianship (especially the outstanding performance of Vander himself) and in terms of the emotional power of certain points (for instance at about halfway through Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê II), this recording excels. I recommend it without reservation.

There are two sorts of people in the world, those that love Magma and those that load Magma. The sounds explored by Christian and Stella Vander throughout these past 40 years will hardly leave anyone passive, such is its power and fracturing stance. This can be observed in the disparity of ratings the band's alba get at this forum.

This album follows the trademark sound built with the Khontarkosz LP, heavily choral, backed up by drums, slightly distorted bass and piano. To these instruments add the traditional electric piano, the guitar and here in Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê the vibraphone. Once more there are no brass instruments, with the chorus pretty much filling in for their task.

The first impression from listening this new LP is that it might have well been recording in the 1970s, the modern recording quality is there, but there's no feeling of ageing in Magma's work; the freshness of Zehul is all there. Both in vocals as in instrumental execution, there is nothing left to be desired for in the LP, much to the contrary.

In terms of composition this work is also Magma at their best. The usual throbbing bass and profuse drumming are there in a breathless rhythm, taking the listener through a series of evolving melodies that tell the story of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê in a very cohesive manner. And in spite of its overall overwhelming tone, there are though some introspective moments of great sensibility, such as the fourth movement. Those knowledgeable of the band's live work may recognize some of these melodies, especially Hhai, in the second movement, but in a much more complete, powerful and sentimental rendition. Still, the most special about this LP is the way the chorus is used, with a level of lyricism very rare in Rock recordings. Christian Vander uses is voice in lower keys, producing deep and sentimental sections (here contrasting with the 1970s recordings) whereas the female voices can do some real wonders, lending that sense of grandiosity patent in Magma's most acclaimed works.

The DVD that makes company to this record is a serious plus, that frames quite well the final product. Christian Vander is incredibly demanding in studio and seems perfectly conscientious of where he wants to lead his musicians. Alba like these simply do not happen by chance.

All in all, this is Magma again in great form producing what is possibly the best album of this century. The lack of Christian Vander's falsetto vocals and some restrain in repetitiveness may make this LP a very good place to start exploring this band's outstanding legacy.

Now that it is clear to what sort of people I belong to, time for the negatives. The only thing to point here is the lack of a brass section. Indeed the choral work is of the best you can hear in progressive music, but the brass instruments could further refine the final work with a wider symphonic tone. Such is the case in the band's masterpiece, Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh, but well, that's a 7 star album.

The album of the year for me. Agreed, there is nothing new here. However, the performance is flawless. I don't have much to add to what my prog-brethren have already mentioned except to say that one of the most incredible things about the last two Magma productions (this and KA) is that they have managed to remain faithful to their own sound, as if the dark ages of the 80s, 90s had never occurred. Of course, some may find this an appalling example of stagnation. To me it reminds that progression, evolution, change (however you like your musical descriptives) is not necessary, as long as the product excels enough to make you feel that it is essential. This is most certainly the case with Emehntehtt-Re for me.

This is without question the best MAGMA record I have heard since "Kohntarkosz". I can't believe i'm saying this after all those great albums of the seventies, and the big comeback record ("KA") of several years ago. This is darker and more intense than "KA" which suits my tastes better, in fact I really think Jannick Top's "Infernal Machina" had an influence on this album. Most of those playing on "Emehntehtt-Re" played on Top's masterpiece of last year, and I have no doubt that Christian Vander (who played drums on it) was impressed with it's power and intensity. He's certainly created a powerful album here. The title track is divided into 4 parts but it all blends together making it an over 46 minute track.

"Emehntehitt-Re I" opens with outbursts of sound. Inbetween these outbursts we first get Christian's spoken words then the female vocal melodies which eventually take over with the drums and male vocal melodies. It settles 3 minutes in with female vocals and piano dominating. It blends into "Emehntehitt-Re II" where we get a fuller sound with Christian singing. Female vocal melodies join in. Nice bass from Bussonnet before 2 minutes.The tempo picks up after 3 minutes with some cool drum work. It settles some as Christian starts to sing again. This sounds amazing when Christian stops singing and starts to focus on his drumming. Female vocal melodies 9 1/2 minutes in. It's so uplifting before 12 minutes. It settes some as Christian's vocals with bass come to the fore. Guitar before 15 minutes as the sound changes with female vocal melodies and bass. Drums then kick in. Holy hell ! The bass is digging deep. This is fantastic ! Male vocal melodies 19 minutes in then the girls join in. This is intense. Killer bass and drums after 21 minutes.

It blends into "Emehntehtt-Re III" and check out the female vocal melodies and heavy sound ! It settles quickly. It's dark. It starts to pick up before 2 minutes. Stella comes in then it settles again as the tempo continues to shift. The bass and drums are outstanding. Amazing sound 12 minutes in when the tempo picks back up. It settles a minute later and blends into "Emehntehtt-Re IV". Female vocals and piano take over as drums join in. It settles back with female vocals, piano and bass. "Funehrarium Kanht" is darker and heavier with vocal melodies.This is quite haunting. It settles before 4 minutes as we get male vocal expressions to end it. "Sehe" is the short conclusion filled with dark atmosphere and Christian's spoken words.

There's a lot of people who prefer "KA" to this one, it's all a matter of taste I suppose but for me it's not close. I do miss Top and Blasquiz but then again they're both on the incredible "Infernal Machina". Life is good.

He's got to love that knee.

Same old, same old, pretty much, but what a wondrous same old it is. In some ways I wish that Vander wasn't repeating himself, and struggle with the rating since I generally value progressiveness from an artist, but I find this so enjoyable that I really want to give it a five (if I cared for exact ratings, then a 4.5). Truth be told, I'd like to give quite a few Magma albums a five, which makes me something of a fanboy, and even "Merci" is essential to my collection. Magma was for some years my favourite band and remains one of my favourites. As a fanboy, perhaps I should be extra prudent and a little more conservative with my rating.

It's a very easily digestible album (not challenging ) for those that know Magma reasonably well (and it has an Offering feel as well in part). It's hardly ground-breaking, but it is an excellent listening experience despite my familiarity with themes (as of course, expected). There are some nice twists on old material. I found it to be one of their most easy-listening albums -- "got it" on first spin, but it still entrances me. I really like it, but don't find it, as some state, terribly complex. For pure enjoyment, I'd rate it a five, but that would drop if I compared it to others and took into account "innovation". It is one that I'd recommend to a Magma newbie (of course the repetition would be too much for some and even for me it goes on too long in parts, but what pay-offs there are!). And so beautiful in parts, joyous, and "mysterious" in others. Quite a bit of it makes me want to bop my head, wag my shoulders, wiggle my hips, and shake my li'l booties (actually, rather large galoshes) -- especially when Vander is singing in his "Hhai" idiom, and when he sings lyrics that sound to me like "He's got to love that knee ... Oh that knee ... Oh wee that knee, oh wee...". Mishearing Magma lyrics is one of my preferred pastimes, and the "fun" element has long been important to me with Magma..Very danceable in parts, as with a lot of funkin' groovy Magma music for me. Actually, it has wonderful contrast and, though not that complex, is very nuanced. It has the qualities that made me fall in love with progressive rock and Magma. I can "feel" this music, and feel attuned with the performance and mind behind the compositions. And I must say, aside from Stella's Vander's lovely vocals which are really special this time round, Christian Vander's vocals can just fill me with so much joy. The album, as I find common with Magma, can be truly sublime and fill me with exuberance.

However, I wouldn't call it Magma's uber-hundin work. It's one of many wonderful albums by the band (of the studio albums, the first two have tended to get the most play from me). I do feel that the mixing could be a little better to bring certain instruments to the fore and more varied instrumentation would elevate this higher still, but the piano goes a long way. I really dig vibraphone, but I feel that it was not used as well as it could be for both rhythmic and harmonic purposes. More complex harmonies would elevate this higher still, and I would have layered the music more in some parts -- though the simplicity in some parts really is beautiful. One thing that pleases me is that it doesn't have the excess of dull keyboard one-handed runs that are in "K.A. III".

I've spun this so many times now and still love it. For enjoyment I'd give it a five, and it is one that I'd recommend to a Magma newbie for accessibility as well as an oldbie who is already familiar with the kind of music on display (mind you, I still think this nice twists on the expected for one who know Magma very well), but I'm giving it a four, I think, because of the lack of innovation (it is conventional Magma) and because.I still think it could be improved somewhat through the use of different harmonic types. In some ways, too, I'd like to see Magma move farther from rock into more intellectual, and esoteric, jazz/ academic music fusion. The final two tracks strike me as pretentious if one takes them seriously.

This is not an album that one must be initiated in the flaming Magma to enjoy. While both those new to Magma and old to Magma may find much to love, I think some may find this too accessible and even poppy for their liking. Those looking for truly avant garde music, look elsewhere. I love French pop. Those who want much complexity in music may also find this very lacking, but I still think this is at a much higher standard than the great majority of music deemed Prog at PA, and there is wonderful contrast, good texturing, and nuanced music to hear. The musicianship is all very fine, and Vander's drumming remains creative and his music generally heartfelt and sincere, even if I suspect him rather tongue in cheek at times.

5 stars for personal enjoyment. 4 plus for PA purposes (not that ratings matter anyway). An essential 2009 release for any reasonably well-rounder progger, and a damned fine album. I could easily rate it up there wish the classics, and in some ways I think it's an improvement on the "Köhntarkösz" days.

Ah heck, I'm changing it from a four to a five for now since I really consider this an excellent rockiverse album, and when taken on its own (the quality of the music itself and not different considerations), I think it really deserves that five. While I hardly think this music will have the longevity of, say, Beethoven's glorious 9th, or music by influences on Vander such as Coltrane and Orff, compared to the vast majority of others in the rock universe, this is stellar stuff. And I'm glad that Magma has been faithful to the early vision, and haven't opted to release a bland pop album for the billboard charts even if I find it rather poppish Magma- comparatively (but it's no "Ooh, Ooh Baby").

I've been listening to this album since the first week of its release, but I was waiting until the CD+DVD package arrives, in order to have a full "taste" of it. And the package actually contains a leaflet with the album's lyrics in Kobaian! Anyway, I think that no one can blame those who find Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê's repetitive parts, operatic vocals, the peculiarity of a made-up language, the dominance of the bass guitar or the absence of solos not too friendly to their ears. On the other hand, I believe that every music lover will agree that this album is a genre of its own! It is obvious that Christian Vander had a clear vision here and he gave life to it in a marvelous manner! I don't know why exactly I was expecting wind instruments in this album (maybe after watching the breath-taking MDK live version of the "Trilogie Au Trianon" DVD) , but this is not the case: Mr Vander used piano, drums, bass, guitar, vibraphone, fender rhodes and voices to make this captivating opus. The flow of music draws you away giving you goose bumps of vertigo pleasure, depth, darkness, light and grandeur. Considering that this record is created in 2009, I cannot but feel happy because it proves that masterpieces can still be created as we speak!

Oh well - then I've had my first immersion on one of Magma's creations. Without ending up as a dedicated hardcore fan nor a dedicated loather of the band - but rather somewhere in the middle. Which seems to be a curious position to take on this act.

The main part of this album is made up by the 45 or so minutes long epic Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, divided into four parts. Musically I'd describe this as a highly repetitive venture, where themes are repeated over and over by vocalists as well as instrumentalists, with one element changing art the time for the most part. The bass guitar provides much of the energy and momentum, while the drums provide minor alterations constantly to add a subtle element of variation to the strictly controlled performance. In style basically a form of jazzrock/fusion, with a few deep nods in the direction of Wagner - especially in terms of vocal performance - with some seasoning from avantgarde.

At best this is pretty intriguing. The musicians and vocalists are top notch, and on the third part of the title track they manage to perfect theis craft - the dark, brooding atmosphere, the repeated themes and melodramatic vocals matching up perfectly for an almost hypnotic experience. And the sheer skill makes most of the other parts interesting at best too.

Standalone number Funëhrarïum Kahnt is on the other side of the scale though. Too repetitive and lacking in subtle aspects as well as sophistication, this number was just plain boring despite the highly oppdressive, dark mood - elements I'm usually intrigued to encounter. And while final piece Sêhë is an interesting experience, the brief visit of this atmospheric piece makes it pretty hard to rate it as a standalone venture.

What I'm left with is an album that works despite the repetitive elements and the, to be frank, totally stupid choice of language. Sheer musical and compositional skill makes the best parts of this album an experience worth having, and can also be safely recommended to followers of fusion with a tendency to like avantgarde stuff as well. Especially if they enjoy speaking Klingon, finds the thoughts of living after Tolkien's Elvish time reckoning interesting rather than silly and in general enjoy fantasy escapes and escapades most people elsewhere have a tendency to ridicule.

I'm a casual Magma fan, I own most of their studio albums in mp3, legally downloaded from itunes. Recently I found Udu Wudu and Attahk lingering in a second hand record store in Wellington and I bought MDK in a dark, underground, spooky store in Tokyo 2 years ago. I'm not aware of all the details around the evolution of Emehntehtt Re, how it featured in Mythes and Legendes and how it was a constant feature of Magma's recent concerts. Zurra Tendiwa's excellent review points to the fact that there are pieces in this album that are already part of the Magma's canon: Announcement from Hhai, Rindo from Attahk and Zombies from Udu Wudu. As soon as I received the CD I sent it to my mp3 player (a Creative Zen, never liked the sound of the ubiquitous ipod) and off I went: first observation, what a great production, you can distinguish every instrument clearly, and this is the basis for a rewarding long term relationship with this album, as every new listen unravels details that escaped our senses before. The first two parts are absolutely marvellous, Christian and Stella's vocals are very well restrained, gone are the spooky screams that adorned such albums as MDK, everything here sounds regal, sober and majestic. The familiar parts are so well played that they sound like different compositions; the energy of Zombies is so uplifting that I couldn't restrain myself of moving several body parts to keep the rhythm. The final 3 pieces are also excellent, in fact, Part III feels too short, I could have easily managed 10 more minutes of this "celestial" bliss. But what makes a great album is a solid ending and the last 2 songs are truly haunting with the spoken vocals in Sehe mirroring the introduction to Part I. The key message is that this is a work of enormous complexity, yet it sounds fresh and it's easily digested. Even though some parts are made of just "sounds", these sound as "music", music made in Heaven, or Kobaia, or the Land of the Death. An excellent starting point to Magma's demanding catalogue. Album of the year in one of the most prolific years in history? Is it album of the decade? Could somebody organise a poll?

The magic never ends

They say you can't teach new tricks to an old dog, but from my personal experience I can say this well known aphorism is not always truth. For more than three decades I've been a Symphonic Prog hardcore fan, it's true that I also loved some albums from other genres, but always some limits, normally I loved a Fusion or Avant album from a determined band, but the rest of their discography hardly caught attention, so even when I love several releases from diverse genres, very unlikely loved almost all the discography of a non Symphonic band.

But things changed, about 5 months ago when I re-discovered MAGMA through a Facebook K.A. video, bought that album and became an instant fan, since then I managed to grab all their releases and never found one less than satisfying, "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré" is not the exception.

Some friends which who I join very frequently to watch DVD'S ad listen music of Prog artists, don't share my addiction for MAGMA, most of them think the band is too repetitive, but I believe that this variations over the same theme are the central and most impressive achievement of "Ëmëhntëhtt-Réª", the capacity of the band to slowly move from one passage to another through continuous repetitions with subtle deviations. Instead of radical changes, they opted for some form of progressive metamorphosis that can be enjoyed step by step if we try not to loose an instant of music.

Surely it's not as magnificent as K.A. (Well, very few albums are remotely in that level), but MAGMA'S latest release is not too far from it's predecessor. Again the epic sound that seems a Progressive Rock soundtrack for an epic movie, makes me feel some weird emotion I didn't felt since I heard "The Musical Box" for the first time, simply impressive.

This time "Emmanuel Borghi's" piano is better than ever, mixes the strength of keyboard wizards such as "Rick Wakeman" or "Keith Emerson" with the sober classical sound of "Par Lindh" a delightful touch of Jazz and a lot of masters like "Wagner" or "Karl Orff"

The choirs are as always impressive from start to end, as usual "Stella Vander" and "Isabelle Feuillebois" are impeccable and the fantastic contrast with "Hervé Aknin" is something almost mystical, this singers of the few that are able to take me from a combative mood to tears of emotion, their skills are beyond any doubt.

Last but not least "Christian Vander" who's frenetic vocals and peculiar drumming are always the center of attention for most of the fans.

I won't even dare to make a song by song review, because it would take me several pages just to describe the six minutes of "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré", but I must say that if I have to choose one song I would go with the versatile "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II", a 22:25 minutes epic where I feel they show the magnitude of their skills and the flexibility of their sound. But in general terms, the whole album is outstanding.

As in K.A. I have no problem with my "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré" rating, even when I accept it's not as impressive as the previous release, it's almost a masterpiece that deserves a special place in any musical collection, so 4 stars it is (Should be 4.5).

How a 70s band that broke up in the 80s can make such an album today impresses me. ËMËHNTËHTT-RÊ (E-Re) is not only the album of the year for me, but one of the strongest musical works of the decade.

For anyone not aware of the band, Magma is an unusual band that is an acquired taste. They mix jazz fusion, progressive rock, 20th century classical music, John Coltrane-style avant-garde jazz, and opera sang in a made up language. The lineup in the two reunion albums (K.A. and E-Re) is very impressive. Mastermind and classically trained drummer Christian Vander shines once again, possibly better than ever. All vocals, including Vander's, are impeccable. The bass guitar is always imaginative and virtuosic; some of the complex bass riffs during the dark sections really bring the evil enemies of the story to life. All other musicians are great at their respective instruments, the piano being an important element in the music.

They had a positive, semi-electric, and quirky sound on their previous album, the excellent K.A. On the other hand, the sound of E-Re is quite different and more to my taste. It is darker, cinematic, mostly acoustic (drums, bass, xylophone, piano, and a multitude of vocals) with the exception of Rhodes electric piano and one electric guitar riff in pt2. All these elements combine into an album of epic proportion that was overwhelming during my first listens: I simply was exhausted after each listen. The album clicked when I got used to the busy drumming and noticed the album's perfect coherence and arrangements.

Based on a couple album reviews, I learned a deeper appreciation by having a general feeling of what the music is about. While the way I interpret the story may not coincide with the band's interpretation, it helps me follow the music:

Part 1 - The song begins with the introduction of the king, being worshipped by the masses (and possibly feared). The swirling choir work brings that image perfectly. However, during the second half of part 1, there is a clear sadness emanating from him, something that drives him to the 'Land of the Dead' in search of something. I've read from Magma fans that it involves secrets of immortality, so I assume that his sadness involves a personal loss and he wants to bring that person to life. The music seems to have a loose yet carefully structured arrangement of piano, drums and operatic female vocals.

Part 2 - has a more positive mood as the protagonist gets excited at the idea of going to the Land of the Dead and the first 15 minutes is a buildup of his determination. The 20+ minute part 2 includes a section referred to as "Hhai" during the middle, which I was aware of due to a fantastic live performance available online. I thought it was one of the most spectacular jazz-fusion performances I have ever heard. This made it hard to get used to the studio version as the mesmerizing 4-note riff driving the piece is now played with a grand piano and the synthesizer and guitar solos are gone. I believe this is for the better as this acoustic interpretation not only fits the tone of the album better, but has a stronger emotional impact. The part that has the biggest emotional impact to me is when the music gets quieter and the choirs sing the English phrase "To Believe in God." The transition to the frantic "Zombies" piece ending part 2 is a stroke of genius and these last minutes I believe are about the protagonist encountering evil beings and facing them in battle. The rhythm section manages to be both darkness and danceable funkiness at the same time. There is one particular haunting motif that is played at minutes 16 and 18 that is hard to explain but the interaction of the bass guitar and the vocals show the superior songwriting skills of Magma.

Part 3 - The way I interpret this part is as a duel against the most fearsome foe. You hear the monster showing itself in the first brooding minutes and instilling fear on the protagonist. The battle is luckily not an excuse for synthesizer/guitar dueling. This song is full of twists and turns, showing that the battle is evenly matched with each adversary having some moments when they have the upper hand. This is probably the hardest part of the album to get used to but it rewards your patience. I am impressed how evil and twisted the music can be without bordering in cheesiness. The song ends with the hero being victorious, or is he?

Part 4 - A short, restrained piece with beautiful piano playing. The king seems like he won the battle but little does he know that something (possibly the foe he defeated) deals a death blow to his surprise and then another one, killing him instantly.

The album ends with a mournful funeral procession.

The DVD is pretty informative, showing Christian Vander as a perfectionist, being very careful of how everything is played. I feel they should have explained the album history in this DVD and also shown the recording process for drums and vocals, which were oddly omitted.

I've held off for two months before reviewing this, making sure that the five stars I've awarded it is accurate. I've now heard Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê about five or six times and each time I listen to it, it just gets better. A lot of Magma can be quite oppressive and difficult to take in one sitting. This is the exception, and it really is superb!

There's plenty of vocals on this one. Christian Vander's drums and voice sound just like he did over twenty years ago which is surprising as the guy must be a fair old age. This time new recording technology makes the whole album sound crystal clear. It's still quite intense and dark sounding - as you'd expect from a Magma album - although there's not that much on it that you'll be whistling to yourself afterwards. It's not that kind of album. It just sounds right and doesn't have the cheesiness that MDK had - that one always reminds me of the musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar'!

2009 was really quite a crumby year in terms of new music which makes this all the better, coming from one of the 'Old Guard'. It's a step up again from the K.A. album in 2004 and they still sound like no-one else.

Oh, and check out the Stockhausen type ending with doom laden vocals which fits perfectly in a creepy kind of way. Long live Magma!

"It means what it is" - quote from 'The Prisoner' (1960).

How do you pronounce it? I MEANT IT RAY? Don't try to understand it, experience it and it will understand you.

New Magma! What else needs to be said? Incredible album that absolutely floored me and took me by surprise, as I am a newcomer to the group, only having heard online tracks and owning the one live album. I was totally spellbound by the ingenious music which at times sounds like the soundtrack to your worst nightmare, and at other times like a beautiful princess waking from an enchanted sleep. Nothing comes close to this. Magma have outdone themselves, if that were possible. In any sense of the word, masterpiece is the only way to rate this awesome epic album. So much to recommend it but the main thing that can be said is that the album mesmirises you from the moment those haunting strains begin, to the funeral procession at the end. I won't pretend that I understand any of the concept, but it is thought provoking and quite ethereal to immerse yourself in the Magmaverse, that is otherworldy and sinister, perhaps bordering on the macabre. The battle between good and evil is prevalent and heavy handed but it works as a monstrous thematic device to encase this compelling high strangeness.

Christian's vocals are spellbinding but his drumming is the main drawcard and they are off the scale, metronome shaking metrical patterns that I have never heard. The deathly dark choral voices are chilling and yet beautiful, and it is impossible to forget some of those relentless chants that build and build until they explode into nothingness, there are silent moments that are maddening and one must have infinite patience to withstand the high impact time signatures, and let us not forget those off kilter lyrics. I love the way Magma simply defy logic and break every rule in the book, whilst still maintaining some semblance of order. That is Zeuhl of course, that has become integral to the band and in fact encompasses what they stand for, after all they invented the genre. As soon as the album ends I had to listen again and then I completely found myself reliving the music but hearing it differently. It feels Wagnerian or even Brahms but so tender and guaranteed to haunt the listener.

On each listen something new is gained. Incredible! Listen to that vocal intonation on track 2! It is mind blowing. The dark bass passages absolutely pummel the senses. Am I exaggerating? No, there it is again, that throbbing pulse that just drones like nothing else. Oh, those heavenly female vocals. What is she saying? It has entered the conscious and now it doesn't matter anymore, it is enchanting and hypnotic, causing tears to fill my eyes. How could music like this exist? I leave this review to immerse myself back in the music.

A flop, to say the very least.

Magma has always been a mystified band for several reasons: first and foremost, the band's music style or musical direction is (or was, when it came by in the early 70's) one of the most unique in contemporary music, due to the unlikely mix of free jazz, late 19th century (Wagnerian) opera / early 20th century (Carl Orff-like) choir, rock and huge amounts of great ideas put together. Secondly, the band's own and original language (called Kobaïan), which was used to give the genre's name (Zeuhl, which means celestial) and was (and is still being) specially crafted to sound as good as possible when sung, giving the vocals a celestial sounding. Finally, and definitly not least, the storyline developed throughout the band's history about the history of the Earth, Kobaïa and both planets inhabitants .

All that resulted in an innovative (at the time it appeared) and very interesting genre of avant- garde rock music called Zehul, which unfortunately is still unknown by most, except the band's rabid fans, who seem to never get enough things or know enough about them.

What some still don't know is that Magma (and in fact the whole Zehul genre) is still alive and kickin'! Fortunately, I am not one of those people and neither is my uncle, an avid avant-garde rock, jazz and progressive rock fanatic. When the both of us knew about the release of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, the newest Magma album and the supposed conclusion of the Kohntarkosz trilogy, we were both quite excited. I guess that was a natural feeling, because K.A. was a killer album (and was the second part in the Kohntarkosz trilogy) and progressive rock, in general, is living a great moment, or a resurgence, as some may say.

Little time after the release, by the end of the year, my uncle already had the album and I naturally borrowed it from him to put it on my IPod. Wile listening it, I could notice that something was wrong. The style was the same, the musical playing was also similar to some other albums, as were the vocals, but the magic was somewhet gone. The album sounded strangely repetitive, familiar and similar to something I have already listened before. It was just somehing I couldn't put my finger on, so I decided to rest the album for a wile in order to better absorb the music. It was in vain. Two weeks ago, when I gave the album yet another spin, the feeling was the same. Almost six months had passed passed since the album's release and still the album fails to inspire me. Even now, when I am listeling the album wile writing this review, there are very few interesting parts throughout the 51 minutes of music.

This week I made an interesting discovery about the album's main theme (Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré) and that may partially explain my lack of excitement towards the 2009 Magma release: a considerable part of the song Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré (parts I and II) are actually reworked parts of already released songs by the band during their late 70's period (which aren't their brightest).

However, that is not only it. The rest of the album, in spite of its supposed originality, fails to reach the same level of quality the first two parts of the title songs. The amount repetition through the whole album is disturbing, even by Zeuhl standards, and the lack of interesting ideas makes it even worse. The album is developed in a rather boring and surprisingly predictable way after the first 15 minutes. You can know beforehand exactly when the choir will sing, when the band or the music will make that supposedly unexcpected and surprising "twist". Things seem mechanical and predictable, at least regarding the songwriting.

The instrumental and the vocal works couldn't be nearer from perfection, but the lack substance, meaning that the songs that they play perfectly are simply not good enough to make their effort really significant in this album.

Grade and final thoughts

In fine, I must say that starting my Zeuhl reviewing with an 1 star review is rather unconfortable for me, becouse I really like this genre, specially Magma, which I consider to be one of the best and most innovative progressive rock bands ever, and I rarely dislike a progressive rock album, but what can I say?

The truth is the truth, the only thing you can do is live with it. . . . And the truth is that this album is not even a good album, let alone a masterpiece of progressive rock.

Magma. Today. Life is good.

Some people consider this arguably THE best Magma's album boring and not only repetitive, but also Vander's repetition of himself. My best guess is that the people somehow get tired of Magma's unique type of music. The pre-penultimate album was Merci, a total excess for Magma universe, the penultimate album was MDK-without-brass-like K.A, and the newest album is... UduWudu/Kohntarkosz-like(?) Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. For the self-repetition matter, I'd say it's not a monumentally new album for Magma, it's an eclectic one, extremely satisfying blend of Udu Wudu's and Kohntarkosz's spirits, plus previously unreleased on studio albums unparalleled material, even for Magma's world. Too much self-repetition, isn't it? Magma-fanatic*-like behavior aside, seriously, is this only the best album of the year? This is one of three best albums that came out in 21th Century, if not the best. Also, this is third album in my Magma list after MDK and Kohntarkosz, instead of a little bit overrated K.A, which I could say somehow exactly lacked substance, exactly for the repetition matter.

* - There is a dark-green shirt with the album's cover on it, on sale on SeventhRecords site. Can't say I wouldn't wear it, if someone gifted me one, no one in my university knows about Magma anyway (except a couple of friends whom I try to explain all the greatness of prog, RIO, avant-garde, experimental jazz and Zeuhl, unsuccessfully yet).

Why is this album exactly masterpiece and deserves a higher rating in Zeuhl category than, say, Eros? Because exactly this album, being truly unique and original as it was supposed to be, manages to offer almost everything I expect and want from true music. Subtle and weird fast changing chord progressions (part 1 1/2), 'touching' yet incredibly sincere pathos (part 1 2/2), epic brightness, yet fascinating and relaxing beauty (part2 2/3, part 4), adventurous, 'building up', nearly challenging at times, weird 'trips' away from this earth (part2 3/3, part 3) and finally dissonant avant-garde (the end). And literally everything is done over-the-top, regarding whether the quality of sound, outstanding arrangements/musicianship/vocals, overall very impressive effect or actual compositions. First half would be a good introduction to the band, but the rest still makes the album not an easy listening and an acquired taste.

Now, for the matter of the repeated old songs and the Kohntarkosz-like chant of part3. The fact that this album sounds like or seems a 'typical' Magma album does not imply that Magma repeats itself because, while the album combines some of the features of Udu Wudu and Kohntarkosz, it does bring some completely new musical ideas and mainly overall impression of entirely new adventure. Wurdah Itah used some themes of MDK, Theusz Hamtaahk used first part of Wurdah Itah, Top's Infernal Machina used a riff from De Futura, and what? I don't care if the music is as BRILLIANT as it is on Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. If some uses of past themes seem self-repetition rather than 'conceptual' deja-vu and new excellent versions of amazing songs (whether studio or live-only) after all, then it's a 'barrier' to 'get' the music and my best suggestion is to be open-minded as much as it's possible. Can't wait for studio releases of Theusz Hamtaahk and, say, Zess.

Let's get through some of the great moments of this incredible album.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I. First half starts by the previously unrecorded composition which is one of the most fantastic masterpieces by the band. The fast chord progression sung by amazing chorus is nearly mind-blowing. This part claims to be my personal favorite on the whole album. Second part... it is as much masterpiece as the previous part. It's re-recorded and reinterpreted Rinde, the gem from Attahk, probably the saddest and yet one of the most beautiful songs by the band. Sung by Stella this time, instead of the Vander's falsetto. The correct answer to the question "who is your favorite female singer in prog?" would be Stella Vander. The way she (and, well, Isabelle at the end) sings makes this version of Rinde an epitome of musical sincerity. FWIW, reminds me even of Rock Bottom, just because of the feeling it causes in me.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II. Part one. This is material from middle 70's as well, and this is a very satisfying performance. And new male singer Antonio Paganotti does sound like a decent replacement for Klaus Blasquiz. The part two is first studio release of Hhai. The bass line feels energetic, but somehow it's a very easy and 'relaxing' listening. The main point is 'pretentious' Vander's vocal sounding like he's the only person who knows what is truth, and it's very contagious. Actually, I'd consider Hhai one of the simplest and 'poppiest' songs by the band (Merci aside), I can even imagine hearing it on radio, but well, Pop-Zeuhl is the only 'sub-genre' of pop I like, and Hhai is one of the best pop songs I've ever heard then. Part three is reinterpreted 'Zombies' from Udu Wudu. Although it's not as surpassing its predecessor as Rinde is, the new version is still better, probably because it's played faster.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré III Since you just got done listening to the new 'Zombies', you realize that this part stylistically is still closer to Udu Wudu, although the repetitive chanting reminds of Kohntarkosz. This part (and the rest) is completely new material written in 2009 and I consider it a creative impulse. This is by far hardest to get and most complex part on the album and I had to relisten to it like 5-7 times and that's why I now understand that Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré III actually competes with Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I, although exists in completely different dimension and has absolutely different feeling. Repetitive, yes, and Magma's repetition is something and everyone knows it. Also, while it can give an overal impression of being 'boring' and repetitive, there're actually three different parts and instead of plain repetition, each part gets replaced by each other time by time, thus musically this part isn't repetitive at all. The greatest point is not only offset of the chant lines, but subtle interplay between female chant line, male vocal line and the rhythm, and each thing sounds independently on each other, which creates an amazing chaotic mood. Also, the more you've passed, the less repetitive it gets, that brings an idea of an exponential building-up. The unique moments like at the final part when music stops to be repetitive at all are enough to outweigh the ambiguous repetitions and make album brilliant.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré IV. This is more of 'conceptual pseudo-ending' than the most important part on the album, still bright and beautiful relaxation for your soul after the nightmare.

Funëhrarïum Kanht. A possible flaw or unnecessary 'bonus' track which really fails to be 'bonus'? A dissonant chord progression which fits my taste perfectly. However, it's you choice whether 'good' or 'evil' wins, you always can stop album at this moment. Actually, Magma played this 'funeral' part not on every live performance of the album.

Sêhë. Just like the album began. So listen to it again?

Vander, the crazy genius who created a new sub-genre, presented us a new amazing unforgettable adventure to another world once again. And the truth is that there's no even any doubt about five star rating.

This was and is my first approach to Zeuhl music. I honestly had no idea it sounded like this, so innovating and bizzarre (I thought it was an electronic kind of genre). I remember the first time I listened to ER, I didn't like it so much and I was hesitant in defining it a masterpiece. After my fourth listen, I realized how wrong I was.

The first part of the album is entirely dedicated to the epic 45 minute suite "Emehntehtt Re", which is divided into four parts. This song is probably one of the best realizations of the year, because of it's huge, fantastic, dark, and ancient sounding tunes. We can easily and briefly say that it's a mix between classical music (the structure of the songs, other than the vocals, mainly influenced by lyrical music) and jazz rhythms. Many times the music reaches an Apocalyptic and cryptic feeling, creating an unrepeatable atmosphere, especially in " Emehntehtt Re II", the longest song of the album.

"Funehrarium Kahnt" is very different from the epic Suite: mainly it's four minutes of suspended vocals, accompanied by a pondering gong that keeps the "rhythm". This song, despite it sounding very boring, it is very interesting.

The final track, "Sehe" is twenty five seconds long and it seems to be a excerpt of an ancient egyptian funeral, with as a sorround a creepy sounding theme played with keyboards.

Most definitely one of the best albums of the year, other than being an unbelievable and timeless masterpiece, essential for any progressive rock fan. Enjoy!!

Magma - Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré (2009)

This saterday I saw the live version of the Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré suite in my very hometown! I had been waiting for the event for two weeks! The live version of this amazing new piece was even better then the album version, albeit the live-amplification of the festival wasn't that good. The way Magma plays is absurd: seeing music this technical and sophisticated played live like it's child's play is amazing. Drummer and vocalist Christian Vander was simply amazing, the best drums I've ever seen live.

Now back to the album. After the success of K.A. (2004) Magma continued this musical direction with part three of the Kontherkosz trilogy. Though Magma's seventies catalog was finished with directional changes on Udu Wudu, Attahk and Merci in the second part of the seventies, they returned to their mid-seventies sound of MDK and Wurdah Itah in 21th century. Fans seem to have preferred the heavy rhythmical magical gothic sound of the band and I partly agree. I like the heavy and concentrated Udu Wudu and I can enjoy Attahk, but I also think the albums that came earlier were better with more innovation and ideas.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is one of the most accessible Magma albums. It has even become the highest rated PA album of 2009 and it lured a lot of new people to the band of Christian Vander. And all this is for a good reason: Magma sounds more energetic then ever! After the breathtaking compositions of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I with great female vocals and atmospheric piano we get into a thirty minute up-tempo frenzy of adventurous music. The drums are jazzy throughout and I must say Vander's drums are even more amazing then on earlier Magma albums. The bass is distorted and almost impossible to play for most bass-players (I'm partly one myself). The technical achievement of this rhythmical session has not been matched by any other progressive rock band. During the up-tempo parts we get to listen to some great choir vocals and a great vocal solo by Christian Vander (you should have seen him sing it live... it was unbelievable!). Halve of part II & III (they sound as if it were one composition) is very positive and has a courageous ambiance. The other halve has a dark and dangerous feel. The only fault on this album is the duration of this second halve, I think it's a bit too long. Funëhrarïum Kanht is an almost atonal composition that has a good title which needs no further description.

Though it can be perceived as a new Magma album, a lot of the compositions are reworks of earlier compositions. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I has a new version the Rinde of Attahk (1978), Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II has an expanded and re-arranged version of Hhai from Live '75 and Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré III uses the Zombies (Ghost Dance) track from Udu Wudu (1977) as a basis for further exploration.

Conclusion. Yet another well recorded and played Magma album with amazing Zeuhl music . It is the best place to start for newbies and an essential purchase for fans of the genre and band. The only reasons I'm not giving this five stars are the lengthy Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré III and the fact they used so many older compositions. Four stars for this amazing album and a recommendation for every-one on this community.

For the second time in a row, Magma have enlightened us with a solid late-career album. Emehnteht-Re forms the end of a trilogy of which the bulk of the music was written around 1974. The magnificent Köhntarkösz is the most accomplished release in this series but also the 2004 released KA did not disappoint. I'm having some reservations about this E-Re though.

As a Magma veteran, I've actually had a hard time rating this album. I'm torn between mixed emotions such as being very pleased that this album exists at all, being very glad that it attracted many new listeners to Magma, being very satisfied that it turned out to be both so authentic and fresh and relevant; but also I find myself disappointed that it contains so little new music and that the performance doesn't match the intensity of old.

I originally wanted to list all the previously released bits and pieces that this album was compiled from, but plenty of others have gone that way already. Only the two 4 minute songs at the end (Part IV and Funëhrarïum Kanht) are really new material. The rest is rearranged and slightly extended old material. Luckily, the two new songs are a very intriguing and engaging listen.

It suffices to say that the performance of the old material is good, smartly re-arranged to flow as one continuous piece of music. But except from the opening Part I, I prefer all original recordings, and that is what makes E-Re into a 3 star album for me. Good, but I could have done without, and it has turned out to be the only Magma album where I am actually bored at certain sections, mainly during Part III.

As a dedicated Kobaian, I'm very happy to see that by maintaining their artistic integrity, this ancient band generated a renewed interest in their dense and intricate type of music. It's slightly more accessible then some older material so I can sure recommend this as a starting point for the Magma novice.

Good but not on the level of any of the works that Magma created and performed in that unseen bliss of creative energy back in 1973-1974.

This is the most mature piece of music Magma wrote. Though I am a prog fanatic for the last twenty years, if a piece of work has to stand above many other masterpieces, I will pick this one, for its grandeur, majesty, brillance of interpretation, and a fine balance between very accessible melody (Haï-part 2) and the hypnotic power of part 3. I read a lot of stuff about Magma...some are not so relevant because part of a confused sci-fi mythology. What I am sure about it is a very unique kind of music, played by extremely gifted musician, totally devoted to their Art.

Every Magma work is a different journey for me, the Kohntarkosz trilogy is no exception.

Starting on 2004's masterpiece K.A., with celestial voices announcing the arrival of a kind of prophetic figure, that is a archeologist that discovers the tomb of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. From that part Kohntarkosz(1974) starts, with two musics that describes the arriving of the archeologist in the tomb, passing by some dark rooms. Now finally on Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, the archeologist receives the memories os the pharoah's memories, that are probably related on Kobaian mythology. Is the end of the trilogy.

Leaving the pharah's crazy history aside, let's talk about the musical part of the album.

The album starter is a introduction of the next songs's messages. Very interesting chants, sounds really dark and ancient. I didn't recognized the same kobaian sound, the language sounds a little different of the first 3 albums and Wurdah Ïtah. Then come the monstrous pair Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II and III. 35 minutes of pure crazy hipnotic madness. The accelerated bass line and the incredible Vander's drum work are very marking, is the core of the mesmerizing effect, together with the chants and piano lines. Listening to it is like feeling your soul leaving your body and going to some kind of parallel dimension. Part IV is a nice beautyful song, is like a rest from part II and III The masterpiece ends in two very dark songs, chanting Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré's funeral. One of the most astonishing endings I've listened, it's very cathartic and stuning.

The newest album proves that Magma still active and ground-breaking. Truly deserves 5 stars.

It has only been one year since my initiation into the world of Kobaia and Zeuhl. Christian Vander's world astounds me. His attention to detail and heart-felt all-out effort is nothing short of amazing. Some of the words that come to mind when trying to convey the spell of MAGMA's music include "otherworldly," "operatic," "ecstatic," and "ritualistic." While many reviewers write praise of Magma's disciplined and virtuosic instrumentalists, I am ever blown away by the vocal performances and choir arrangements. This is especially the case throughout "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II"--one of the best--if not the best--example of Vander's genius I've had the good fortune of hearing. I'm having trouble assigning this album an overall rating because, as some other reviewers have said, it doesn't seem to have enough "new" music or show enough of the group's "progress." It does, however, amply display the steadfastness, sharpness, and enthusiasm of Vander and crew in their commitment to this musical vision. In terms of "Best Album of the Year" and boldly going where no music has gone before, Vander and Toby Driver will have to duke it out for a while to see who really comes out on top.

10/15/2010 edit: The MAGMA album I keep turning to when I want to hear them (their best) is MDK. It seems still so fresh, raw, and seemless. "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré," while so polished and amazing because it's a 21st century composition with revitalized and revamped cast, has faded some with time. Even the awesome and amazing "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II" has lost some of its initial luster. When I want to dance and scream, its MDK for me, thank you very much.

6/19/20 edit: What was I crazy? Even though this album may not be as great as MDK--which just happens to be one of the greatest albums of all-time--it is a GREAT album! And so well recorded! Amazing vocal performances. It deserves five stars as it is at least a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music!

This album is very difficult to describe for one who is as new to Zeuhl as I am. Listening to it, one can tell that every note has been carefully thought out; that every progression of notes has been chosen with great care, and that the recording has been done with a great amount of precision to ensure that it comes across exactly as the band intended. This music has existed, for the most part, for over 30 years before it was finally committed to disc and released to the public, so the band has had a lot of time to perfect it, to play it live and learn the music inside and out, and you can tell that while listening to it. (If you watch the DVD included, watching Christian Vander in the studio will verify the above statements). This leads to an album that is very well thought out, and technically superb.

The driving aspects of the music seem to be the vocals of Christian himself, as well as those of Stella Vander and a group of voices that presumably sing backup. But the singing is hardly standard - as anyone who has heard anything by this band knows, Magma sings in their own made up language and has a very operatic approach to their vocals. This combined with the excellent drumming of Christian Vander and the jazzy undertones creates the backbone of the genre Magma created, so this album won't surprise any longtime Zeuhl fans.

46 of the 51 minutes in this album are dedicated to the title track. It is a journey that slowly twists and weaves through a labyrinth of musical ideas, oft repeating a theme many times and developing it slowly over various repetitions. The problem is that some of the musical ideas, to me, lack punch or drama. These parts really break the flow of enjoyment when they occur, because I end up waiting for the next thing interesting (to me) to happen while I'm beat over the head with the same idea. None of them are terrible, but they remove enough energy from the album to drag it down a couple of notches.

That is, to a degree, nitpicking as this album is full of good ideas and intriguing musical ideas, of which the third part of the title track is my favorite by a small margin. The music is highly dramatic and, as mentioned above, tightly disciplined. Enough so that, although this is far from a perfect experience, it has intrigued me to continue investigating this obscure off- shoot of progressive rock (both the band and the genre).

Welcome to my first track-by-track review. Fortunately, there are not many tracks on this album.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, Magma's most recent studio offering, is, in my opinion, a fantastic album. The bulk of it can be found in some form or another on several other Magma albums.

1. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I - The first song is composed of two (somewhat) well-known Magma songs. The first is the Announcement from "Hhai", and is mostly the same, except that the tension comes across much more here than on the live album. The second is Rinde from "Attahk", treated exquisitely by the current choir.

2. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré II - The longest track on the album is also composed of two parts. The first is Ëmëhntëht-Rê (Extrait No. 2) from "Udu Wudu", which is ably performed, but really only there to set up the second part. This longer segment consists of a truly spectacular version of Hhai (although not the best), featuring another round of great vocals but sadly, no violin/keyboard duel. This is where Vander's drumming really takes off, and he'll stay in that zone for basically the entire album.

3. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré III - This is essentially Zombies (also from "Udu Wudu"), except much longer and faster. It goes through a lot of changes, but like a true Magma composition, maintains its energy very well.

4. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré IV - The coda to the whole thing (which blends seamlessly by the way) is short and sweet, with great vocals and some beautiful piano.

5. Funëhrarïum Kahnt - The last real song on the album is a slow, appropriately funereal-sounding number, and nothing really to write home about.

6. Sêhë - A short, blunt conclusion to the story of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré.

Magma has been writing music since the seventies and they're getting better. This epic album along with K.A. are masterpieces of their genre. How many bands out there are this old, still creating adventurous and thought provoking music? King Crimson is a good example of a band that is still pumping out honest material, but unlike Crimson, Magma is still locked in it's sound, creating music that doesn't stem far from the material of the seventies. I could give Emerhntehtt-Re five stars, and maybe I should, but this is a band with an original sound that I feel needs to "progress" and produce continual original sounds, not the same original sounds.

Emehntehtt-Re ? 2009 (2.6/5) 10 ? Best Song: Part III?

I think we can once and for all retire after this one, says Christian Vander, or at least that's what we think he said. This is Chuck Mangy-Boney from Hit Parader, and we're here to introduce you to the man behind Zeuhl, Kobaia, and this whole futuristic fuss. For this interview we will be using google translate, Kobaian Beta.

Hit Parader ? What was it like to create the massive, multi-album opera, sir Vander?

Christian Vander ? Kobo nono Kommandoh whittt enthet-ru! (It was a load of raging bollocks and I never got paid enough).

Hit Parader ? I'm sorry to hear that. What were your thoughts on Emehntehtt-Re before coming into the studio to complete it?

Vander ? Ohh ohh baby hiittiii hittititit nono cumminiw Wolkoht, gunennnnttthththt. (I say that it was a horrible excursion into the realms of wasting my time for fans I don't care about).

Hit Parader ? What do you feel are the religious influences within your musical output?

Christian Vander ? Mekanik Theursz hetihntew Kimoniw koboloh hunteihnttmeirg-ruuhn. (All hail lord Satan!)

Alright, I think we've got enough for a printable interview. Good work, boys!

I'll keep it short. Decent! I'll expand a little. The group's final album thus far is, for all intents and purposes, the same as everything else they ever did, with howling and hooting female opera vocals set to a symphonic rock backdrop and in a language you could only pretend to understand. It's a burgeoning epic set in multiple parts telling the last (first) part of the Re trilogy. I've personally grown tired of the style over this mass journey. Maybe one day, when I've mustered the courage I'll play each album in chronological order and experience the fullness of the Kobaian tragedy (or is it a komedy?). Regardless, if you love Zeuhl, you'll want the album. It has all the good with little of the bad. I'm just saying it has absolutely nothing new to add to the legacy. Magma, for all their perversions and insights were a one trick pony. Sure, the one trick sounded neat in a synth-pop package, and it has a bevy of differing roots and ingredients, but I prefer my Magma like I prefer my magma ? hot, exciting, and fatal to the elderly.

When a band that has been around as long as Magma releases a new album, one tends to temper expectations. I find there are, in general, three phases for a dinosaur musical act such as this; the initial creative period, the failed attempt at adapting to a changing musical landscape, and, finally, the attempt to re-capture the sound of the first period to appeal to those remaining fans, despite being completely out of fresh ideas.

On the surface, Magma fits this cycle perfectly. After their initial creative period they shortened the songs down and explored different genres ? without, to their credit, losing much of their intensity - for 1976's Üdü Wüdü and 1978's Attahk, before a lengthy break leading to their "sell-out" 1984 album, Merci, the black sheep of their discography.

It would be 20 years before another studio album, but that album ? 2004's K.A. (Kohntarkosz Anteria) ? also followed the script, with an excellent first track, but tailing off somewhat after that, especially the final track, which stretches about 8 minutes worth of ideas out to 22 minutes in length. It was better than what was probably expected, but fell short of Magma's peak period.

5 years later, we have Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. Again, this doesn't appear to veer off the cycle, and the band in fact recycles material from several of their 70s studio albums as well as their live repertoire. Sounds tacky or uninspired? Well, it should have been. Thankfully though, this isn't the case.

I admit that I'm not too interested in the story behind Magma's "lyrics", and I'm often thankful that they sing in an invented language that allows me to concentrate on the music and melodies rather than stories of intergalactic warfare. It's clear, however, that Vander saw with this album an opportunity to incorporate tracks both from Üdü Wüdü and Attahk into the larger mythology and epic-scale structure of what is now the Kohntarkosz trilogy, with this album making up the final chapter.

Strangely, the material that gets rehashed here ? most notably Hhaï from 1975's Live/Hhaï, and Rindë from Attahk ? are tracks that never really did much for me in their original recorded versions. Here they are merged together and joined by an excellent rendition of Zombies from Üdü Wüdü, and Vander succeeds in making it appear as though this is how it was intended all along.

It is most surprising then, given the strength of the rehashed material, that the real highlight here for me is the third track, the cleverly titled Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré III. Containing all new music, this track is perhaps the darkest thing Magma have ever released and is an absolute monster of a track. The trademark chanting vocals, insane bass playing, manic drumming, all building up into a crashing crescendo of operatic singing, before winding back down and leading into the gentle Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré IV. This is an epic in every sense of the word.

If there is one weakness it would be the final proper track, Funëhrarïum Kahnt, which is 4+ minutes of repetitive deep chanting, sounding not unlike traditional Japanese Buddhist chants. It goes on for a few minutes too long, and I felt that the soft Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré IV track was a suitable conclusion after the chaos that came before it.

Even despite the minor criticism above, this album succeeds in a way that I never expected possible from a band that has been around since the dawn of prog, and much of the credit must go to Vander. Not just because he hasn't slowed down at all with age, but also because of the level of talent he has brought into the fold, bassist Philippe Bussonnet in particular. Jannick Top may be the prototypical Magma bassist, but they lose nothing with a talent like Bussonnet manning the instrument.

As a starting point for Magma I'd still recommend starting at MDK or their other material from around that period and working your way forward from there, if not solely to gain a better appreciation of the material included here on Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré. Just know that you're in for a big treat once you arrive here.

Classic Sound with A Bit of Modern Polish

Though I have yet to obtain Magma's first return to the scene with KA, I have thoroughly enjoyed their 2009 follow up E-Re. After so many years, it's hard to imagine that there's much more to add to the long legacy of Zeuhl. But far from coming out with a limpid imitation of their classics, Magma has put together a record that stands up well even if it doesn't forge into any new territory. All the classic elements are here, the chanting semi-classical vocals, the throbbing bass lines, the repetitive phrasing, the fusion flavored drumming, and of course the Kobaian language.

The biggest advantage of the new record is the cleaned up production that the decades have provided. The separation and clarity are better than any previous records I own, without making the mix sterile. Similarly, some of the vocals have a more precise sense of melody. Everything seems a little more sober, for the good and maybe a little to the detriment. The focus and clarity are good, but I must admit there is just a tiny down tick in the intensity of the emotion. Of course all of the players being 30 years older might contribute a little too. Jannick Top's bass is certainly at the forefront, pulling in the more upbeat, funky feel of Udu Wudu with the epicness of Kohntarkosz. The Karl Orff-isms of MDK continue to be pretty understated.

Though this is a concept album, the storyline is pointless because no one speaks native Kobaian. The music does move from section to section naturally, combining into one continuous work. Unlike some earlier works, the climactic sections aren't quite as noisy, don't feel like the world is about to fall apart. Tastes will vary on the implications of that change.

Overall, this is a very solid record that certainly is worth obtaining for Magma fans. It may not be one of their masterpieces, but it certainly is a welcome addition to the discography.

Zïss Zeuhl

A new Magma album is surely to attract some hype. With the massive success (critically) of the band's 10th studio release Kohntarkosz Anteria in 2004, the band's 11th studio album Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê was sure to be a massive, incredible album. The album is more of a compilation, with the massive suite that conquers the vast majority of the album actually being bits and pieces of a three decade-long concept being patched together. Vander took compositions from nearly every studio album and even live albums to construct this massive 45+ minute epic. The album is the completing album in the "Kohntarkosz" trilogy that began in 1974 with the album of the same name, continued in 2004 with K.A. , and is completed here. This album tells the story of the album's namesake, and seeing as I have no idea what the lyrics mean, I can't really explain its intricacies. The album musically is a continuation of the trilogy and much of the band's former material as well, with celestial (hence the genre title Zeuhl) sounding choral vocals (Carl Orff style), jazzy instrumentation, and complex rhythmic elements. There is a heavy presence of bass, Rhodes, and piano, giving Magma and Zeuhl in general its unique sound. At this point I have immersed myself in the Magma sound, beginning with K.A., moving to M.D.K., sampling <1001 Degrees Centigrade and Attahk, and then moving to this massive album. Sadly, I can't say I hear anything new. The album has fantastic production and a modern feel, but the album is in general more of the same. The music is spectacular, but very similar to all the music the band has already released. The album is in every way straight to the infectious Magma style, and is a very good introductory Zeuhl album, but it isn't the incredible experimental incredibleness that we all love about Magma.

The album's bulk is the 45 minute long title track, which has been broken into four parts. Die hard Magma fans would most likely find something very familiar about this music, mostly because it is familiar music. Across Magma's history there have occasionally been tracks titled the same as this album, such as the track of the band's first live album, a track off Udu Wudu, and other excerpts and movements scattered around their discography. This album is Vander's compilation of all these smaller songs into one massive one. He took bits and pieces of these compositions and combined them and rerecorded them for a single release, and here we have Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê. The music is in the familiar Magma style, with angelic choral vocals, heavily complex rhythmic work, and heavy bass and keyboard work. It may be nothing new, but it certainly isn't bad. The music segues in and out of moods, feelings, and movements with ease, expressing emotion, passion, and drive all throughout the composition. The instrumentation is at its jazzy, Zeuhly best, and the vocals are top notch. But it's just not new.

There isn't much more to say. In the end, the album is still one of classic Magma merit and style, and is sure to rank up there with their classic albums. The hype that was expected was duly matched, with countless five star ratings when it was released and the album reaching the number one spot on the collaborator's list of top 2009 albums. But, as the hype cooled down, it might be good for reviewers look retrospectively at the album. Although I try to not compare albums to previous albums a band has done, I can't help but say this album really isn't anything special purely because it's all been done before in an even more grand and luxurious style. In conclusion, although this album is a very good Zeuhl album by the true masters of the genre, it is no masterpiece or essential album, although huge Magma fans would do no harm in acquiring this album. 3+ stars.

With the release of Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, the other great three-album concept trilogy of Magma is finally complete, at least in terms of studio renditions. Once again we have an album-length composition in the tradition of the classic period Magma albums, and even though I don't like it as much as K.A., it's still a very fine example of the style the band are famous for. With this release, the big question becomes "what will Magma do next?" Dare we hope for original material from the crew in the future, or perhaps an epic live performance of the Kohntarkosz saga like we got for the Theusz Hamtaahk trilogy? We can only hope.

Finally, after years playing Hhai (Emehnteht-Re with another name and shorter than this final version), they decided to record it at the studio.

As i said to one person, this is the darkest and the most ethereal album by Magma. All the time there's a feeling of sadness, doubt and death! The Emehnteht-Re suite is divided in four tracks (the second track is AMAZING!). This music is art, and it's the most important expression of Vander since MDK.

Here are incorporated some songs from Udu Wudu and Attahk.

The bass, the voice (Vander is like old wine!), the drums, the choral voices and the MUSIC are perfect here. I have nothing more to say, just listen the second track (Part II of the suite) and you'll see i don't lie.

The only thing that's questionable, it's that with the minutes, the music is turned a little pretentious, but that disappears with the listens!

9/10

First released on: riversofreverb.blogspot.dk

This was the first Magma album I ever listened to, and it was a magical experience to listen to something as unique and mystic as this. Christian Vander, the mastermind behind Magma, is in top form here, being responsible not only of the outstanding drumming, but also of composing this wonderful piece of music. All members of this Magma incarnation give their best in this album, bringing to the table the best of them to fulfill Vander's perfectionist vision. The result is one of the best albums of the past decade, at least in my book.

The first three minutes work as an introduction, first with spoken words and then some classic Magma chanting surrounded by a very dense atmosphere created by the drums, the bass and the piano. Following this we have Stella Vander's beautiful vocals in the forefront accompanied by the piano and the choir sporadically singing with her. This section attracted my attention from the start; it is gorgeous what all this voices do together and the chemistry that the piano, drums and vocals achieve. Christian Vander is, as always, masterful in playing minimalist drum passages in this section. They are a great companion to the sheer beauty that we are witnessing.

As the first section of 'm'hnt'htt-R' ends, the Stella gives the main vocal duties to Christian. This transition always puts a joyful smile on my face; it is so amazing how naturally the composition flows from a more contemplative mood to this almost celebratory section. Section II of 'm'hnt'htt-R' has many moods, as it is more than 20 minutes long, but this first part is a favorite of mine. The bass is the star here flowing very nicely and playing the melody the vocals sing. All the elements the musicians display such passion and talent in section II, they all play as tightly as they can showcasing some of the most amazing musicianship I've had listened to in the process.

As said before, this first part of section II has a celebratory sound, which is mostly displayed by the beautiful and complex vocals, but also by the playful bass and guitar playing and the constant piano line which surprisingly is what gives rhythm to the song even more than the relentless almost schizophrenic drums. It ends in a blast of musical genius when the piano gets loose and shifts from playing the main repetitive melody it had been playing and plays a very beautiful melody to finish the first fourteen minutes of section II.

The last eight minutes are more somber and take the jazz elements from the first half to a more aggressive and urgent place. The darker tone is accomplished by the outstanding bass and the male vocals, which keep the listener on edge by building a tension that seems to be endless. The guitar and the drums create a delightful sense of madness and paranoia that is palpable throughout this whole section. It feels like a trip into the mind of a very insane person, and it is a real treat to listen.

As section II unravels, the choir introduces the third section with one of its most outstanding performances, a blast of vocal genius that leads to a very quiet and minimalist section with the drums, bass and piano displaying their talent for minimalism. The vocals then re-enter, with Stella in the forefront again, accompanied by the jazzy drums that displays its talents on minimalism and avant-garde in this part of section III. The song starts taking shape as the bass starts playing a repetitive riff that gives pace to the song. There is a ritualistic feel throughout section III that is reminiscent to section I but with the jazzy and relentless complexity of the ending part of section II.

By the middle of this section we have been witness to some of the most virtuosic display of avant-garde, not just by the usual incredible drums, but also by the bass when it gets loose from its main riff to give a master class on bass playing. The rhythm section is in top form throughout the thirteen minutes that compose this track, but this is not the only treat we get on it. The mysterious piano playing and the almost menacing vocals are of the highest quality and the guitar in the final part of the section also contributes to the overall feeling of apprehension this section portrays. In the end the chants come back as the song becomes faster and playful again as section III comes to a magnificent conclusion.

Section IV opens with the beautiful vocals of Stella Vander preparing us for what promises to be a gorgeous conclusion. The chants that follow are evocative of the ritualistic celebratory moments we have heard throughout the album. The piano is the main attraction here, with beautiful melodies that carry the section along with Stella's vocals. The section surprisingly also has its dark and its jazzy moments, but the general feel is calmed and melodic instead of the dissonance from before. The song ends in an enigmatic tone that leaves the listener baffled to what he has just listened to. In me, it created a need to go back to listen to this composition again and again until I could grasp all of its complexity and beauty.

'm'hnt'htt-R' is not the only composition we have here, even though it is the most important one. Fun'hrar'um Kanht works as a sort of funerary march with its dark and depressive tone. The vocals here are almost like Gregorian chants, and have a mournful feel. There is a very hard hitting piano accompanying the chants that make the feeling of dread the song has even more despairing. Finally S'h' is a short piece of spoken word that is surrounded by an obscure atmosphere that makes it very cryptic, leaving the listener puzzled by what it means.

As this was my first experience with Magma, which is one of my favorite bands, this record is very dear to me. This is a band that begs to be listened and acknowledged as the musical geniuses they are. This album is one more addition to the series of masterpieces of Magma's outstanding catalogue, and shows this incarnation at its best. This legendary ensemble has achieved here a level of maturity that establishes its status as one of the best in musical history, and confirms once again that Christian Vander is one of the most talented and creative composers of all time.

I think "apocalyptic musical" would be a fair way of describing this album (and most of the Magma albums). Talk about drama, this album opens with a bang! After a short second of silence a dead serious voice speaks to you in a languish you don't understand. Then comes another bang! Typical for a Magma creation, very serious and very very exciting. I can't say that I have any idea at all about what´s going on, I never have any idea at all when it comes to Magma, but thats not a bad thing.

The music is melodic and, in some weird way, very beautiful. At the same time its dramatic and very haunting, and even though all the lyrics are written in Kobaïan, the strange languish created by Christian Vander, you get the feeling of something terrible going on. I don't know, but I like to think the story got something to do with the destruction of some civilization somewhere in universe, as it is known to be a common theme for the conceptual music of Magma. Drummer and bandleader Christian Vander´s playing is as driving as it is mindblowing! Who ever thought jazz drums could create a feeling this ominous, its like he´s playing theater with his drums. He also provides the album with his scary, almost preaching voice, which in combination with the choir of destruction (thats the sound of it, anyway) should be able to lay ground for some really nasty nightmares for those listening to Ëmëhntëhtt-ré just before bedtime.

Just like a great movie, this album has a great dramaturgy. There is ups and there is downs, often the songs builds up really slow to keep the excitement on top and the listener very alert. It goes from slower and more atmospheric phases to fast and action packed phases. Also the end pursues this dramatic way of storytelling; with some very serious words the album comes to an dramatic but quick conclusion. Those last words will keep on echoing in your head (even though you still don't have a clue what they meant), thats exactly how powerful this piece of music is. The silence after the music is over is almost as important as the music itself.

Magma occupies a space in the spheres of music that is totally unique. No other band sounds like them and the genre they created, zeuhl, is not for everyone. I am not saying that to scare people off but it is true. As in most cases regarding the more extreme sounds in music there is a somewhat limited fan base, as opposed to more easily digested ones. Having said that I would also like to state that Magma has so much to offer to those who dare venture into and explore this dark and foreboding landscape.

Ëmëhntëhtt-Rë is an album released by this longlived band 39 years after their debut. There are many examples of bands that over such a long period of time (in this case also a disbandenment/hiatus) fail to reproduce the splendour and majesty of past glory but Magma does the opposite. Alot is very much the same as it has always been. The chanting is there, the vocals sung in Kobaïan, the heavy distorted bass, Vanders exquisite drumming and so forth. All that is pretty much identical to the classic stuff but the material is just as brilliant as ever, something one might have expected to be otherwise. Ëmëhntëhtt-Rë is a very intense album. Now, that's not a shocking statement when speaking of Magma, I know. But it is. Intense, powerful, dark and overwhelming. The four piece suite that occupies most of the album is a stunning piece(s) of music. It attacks you and sucks you in like a monstrous vampire and stuck inside the belly of the beast you stand in awe and amazement. It is, to put it mildly, a stunning experience.

There is no point in dissecting the pieces on this album. Just listen to it and you'll be alright. However, I must emphasize that "Ëmëhntëhtt-Rë II" and "Ëmëhntëhtt-Rë III" are my favorites on the album. The 2nd piece is the longest, 22 minutes in length, and offers a great variety. It is also my absolute favorite on the album. The 3rd piece with its 13 minutes the most hard rocking and intense of the pieces. It reminds me alot of the song "Mekanik kommandöh"from MDK in regards to intensity and power. It's like the band is barely able to contain the massive amount of energy produced. I get the feeling that they are about to explode. What is there to say? Brilliant? Well, yes.

The material on the album was not entirely new back in 2009. It is made up of bits and pieces played live over the years but it has never, as far as I understand, been recorded in the studio, at least not in this grand and fullfilled way. I think this is just as good as anything the band ever made. MDK may be the absolute pinnacle but this is not far off. It fills me with such emotion, joy and exuberation that I am about to shoot off into space, never to return. Fueled by the energy from the album I could sail off to the farthest corner of the universe and still have it in me to go back to Earth. It's that good.

Is Ëmëhntëhtt-Rë a good place to start if one is new to Magma? Yes, I suppose so but there are other albums just as apt to begin with. I do think however that you can't go wrong with this one. The power and the glory is all there. Go for it, why don't you?

Christian Vander revived his MAGMA project at the turn of the millennium and tested the waters to see if his classic prog rock visions were still viable in the brave new world so he resurrected the never-ending tale of his Kobaian mythology and set out to complete the tales that were initiated so long ago. After the well received comeback album 'K.A.' which made a huge splash in prog circles with some even declaring the album the very best of the entire MAGMA canon, Vander took that as a green light to at long last finish up the third chapter of the Köhntarösz trilogy which began all the way back in 1974 with the 'Köhntarösz' album and revived thirty years later in 2004 with 'K.A.' This was obviously a major convoluted work of Shakespearean proportions and as nebulous as a library written in Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs but Vander's vision was clear and the ability to record in the modern world had finally allowed the opportunity to bring the opus magnum to completion.

Drummer / composer / Kobaian-in-chief Christian Vander and his diva wife Stella are the only original MAGMA members to return from the distant past to bring new light to this epic cosmic soap opera but with the assistance of a new generation of outstandingly brilliant musicians, MAGMA conjures up one of the strongest albums of the band's near half century of existence. While the musical works only found completion with the release of 2009's tenth studio album ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ, the extraterrestrial fairy tale had found its own mythological conclusion as far back as 1975 when all the characters and plot had been crafted and the initial stages of this album were in the works but put on the shelf due to the sudden shift of the musical world and the financial pressures of 70s album production. The origins of ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ were actually present on the 1975 'Live / Hha' where the initial "'Ëmëhntëht-Ré (Announcement)' is combined here with "Rindë (Eastern Song)" from the 1978 album 'Attahk.'

For those who follow the mythology in a geeky Star Trek convention demeanor will already know that this saga of cosmic folklore narrates an ancient Egyptian pharaoh encountered by a modern day explorer seeking eternal spiritual enlightenment and the secrets of the entire universe unlocked or something of the sort and since the lyrics are all in the invented Kobaian language, you'll just have to take my word for it! For the rest of us who just enjoy the nonsensical liturgy presented in a never ending variation of Carl Orff's 'Carmina Burana' laced with an incomparable mix of jazz-fusion, progressive rock and the hypnotic trance inducing build up of minimalism, we are presented with one of Kobaia's greatest gifts to the musical realms of our humble planet and for that i'm eternally grateful :) While carved up into six tracks for the sake of labeling, ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ is for all intents and purposes is designed to be experienced in its entirety from the first thundering percussive drive to the final spaced out ending 'S'h' as each track seamlessly connects to the next.

But it's in between where all the good stuff occurs. ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ much like 'K.A.' which preceded it, is a bizarre amalgamation of spaced out choral sections engaging in the endless acrobatics of scaling to musical heights, reaching climaxes and then settling down to build up to the next. Add to that the virtuosic bass abuse that reaches unfathomable heights as it zigzags around like a free radical on steroids backed up by Vander's jazz-rock drumming prowess that enervates the listener just considering how this man's physical stamina has survived the punishing drive for all these decades. The music exhibits the classic MAGMA-esque ratcheting up effect with every cadence and crescendo milked to its maximum usage with the usual vocal trade offs that exist somewhere between an exotic space opera and the seedy jazz flavored speakeasies located in some back alley. Simple melodic runs get twisted and contorted in progressive time signatures run amok and the musicians hover in and out of sync creating a roller coaster ride experience that is unmatched in all of music history.

ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ ultimately comes off as a classic performed by seasoned masters of their trade with not even a single flaw that hinders the impeccable progression across the classically infused score. Somehow every tiny detail is crafted with the utmost minutia fussed over to bring utter perfection to the mix. This album was released with an accompanying DVD called 'Phases' which shows the madman perfectionist Christian Vander scrutinizing every agonizing detail and cracking the whip to make every nanosecond of playing time implement the desired results. The video is designed to give a glimpse into the maddening conditions of an incessant studio session where a tiny thirty second segment can take hours to hammer into perfection. This is perhaps the most sinister sounding MAGMA release as if some Goth band decided to go classical but ended up with a jazz-fusion band trying to pull it off and in the end created the creepiest cosmic soundtrack the universe has to offer. This one was a slow burner for me but after a gazillion plays, it has revealed a never-ending display of musical diversity and virtuosity that presents one of the most ambitious space rock operas ever to be recorded. Another perfectly crafted album by MAGMA.

4.5 stars. Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, the third part of the Kohntarkosz trilogy, was released in 2009. This completed a series that was started in the mid 1970's and didn't see completion until decades later. This album features songs that appeared on Üdü Wüdü, Attahk, and Live/Hhai. I don't have a problem with this. If an artist thinks they can improve an old song with new recording technology, they are free to do as they please. It helps that the songs that were recycled are good.

Track 1 is Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I. This, along with the next 3 songs, make up the bulk of the album. Christian gives narration in a vaguely Egyptian sounding language, then the vocal choir sings an ominous melody. Voices are panned left, right, and centre, while drums and piano make the instrumental. Stella gives an emotional solo, and this leads into "Rinde" from Attahk.

Part II starts with Christian singing, and this is where the album picks up the pace. A bonus track from Üdü Wüdü is reused, and a great vocal harmony brings us to the next song. "Hhai" was always a live staple since it was first used in 1975. Over time, it has grown to be one of Magma's best songs. This studio version is a worthy addition to the song's legacy. Christian's voice is as good as ever. An impactful ending segues into "Zombies", a track from Üdü Wüdü. This time, the song is much faster and more intense.

Part III has a dramatic intro and falls into a more reserved instrumental. Stella and Hervé Aknin sing a duet, with other vocalists fading in and out of the mix. This song keeps building until it is very dense with vocals and instruments. It keeps ramping up intensity, and a well deserved crescendo is reached.

Part IV is a more calm and jazzy piece. Stella sings alone once again. This allows the listener to relax and reflect on the trip this album has taken them on. That is, until a moody ending suddenly happens.

Parts I to IV of the Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré suite are the main portion of the album. I can't say what comes after is essential though. "Funëhrarïum Kanht" sounds more like vocal practice for the band, than a real song. This drones on for 4 minutes with sustained voices and repetitive percussion. Not bad, but not great. "Sêhë" is not much to write about. It's just 30 seconds worth of ambience with Christian repeating the opening narration.

Despite an underwhelming ending, this record is still fantastic. As a whole, Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is a more dark and brooding album than K.A. Sometimes, I love this album as much as K.A. You can't go wrong with either one. If you like progressive music, I encourage you to listen to Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré.

Magma's next album, 2009's Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré, consists of more music originally composed in the 1970s but never recorded in the studio. This is also the third installment of the Köhntarkösz trilogy, taking place after Köhntarkösz opened the tomb of Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê at the end of the 1974 album. (I know that "Rê" and "Ré" have different diacritics depending on whether it's the album title or the character, but that's just how it is. I wanted to clarify that this wasn't an error on my part.)

Though Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré is the third part of the Köhntarkösz trilogy, it is mostly a flashback. This album tells the story of the pharaoh Ëmëhntëhtt-Rê, who had a vision for saving the world, but who was murdered before he could complete it. After Köhntarkösz opens the tomb, the pharaoh takes over his body and uses this new vessel to fulfill his prophetic vision.

The bulk of the album is four tracks titled "Ëmëhntëhtt-Ré I-IV". Part I opens with ominous chanting and rumbling piano and drums. The music swirls and swells for a while, remaining impressionistic.

Part I flows smoothly into Part II with warm bass and piano lifting the music upward. Soul influences are evident in the first minute before plunging into a speedy, peppy section. Vibraphone adds a lightness to the astral prog-jazz. Part II incorporates elements of the song "Hhaï", previously only heard in live settings. The vocal performance is especially impassioned. As this segment of Part II reaches its climax, James Mac Gaw's guitar flourishes add wonderful flavor and depth to the experience.

With about eight minutes left, this movement enters a stretch of tension, with a high-strung bassline and nervous piano leading the way. The song becomes weird and dark, with sharp, distorted guitar lines harmonizing with piercing vocals.

Part III kicks off on a haunting choral arrangement, and those first ten seconds are some of the most striking music in Magma's history. Past this impactful opening, Part III plays with subtlety. This movement is quiet for its first several minutes, and a sense of impending doom is effectively cultivated. Part IV, in contrast, is a softer, gentler experience.

"Funëhrarïum Kanht" is super creepy, and if you're looking for music for your next haunted house, give this a go! Finally, "Sêhë" is a weird bit of breathy, dissonant keys and spoken Kobaïan.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2022/04/18/deep-dive-magma/