Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Arabs In Aspic - The Magic of Sin CD (album) cover

THE MAGIC OF SIN

Arabs In Aspic

Heavy Prog


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Bookmark and Share
BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR
Honorary Collaborator
3 stars Only the band's seventh studio album release in 20 years, they're re-trying an all-epic format with just three songs as they did on 2017's fairly highly-acclaimed Syndenes Magi. Go Trondheim!

1. "The Magic of Sin" (12:16) reminds me of some early classic blues rock band (or Brighton's DIAGONAL) re-working PINK FLOYD's "Time" (not including the Breathe reprise). (21.25/25)

2. "Down in Darkness Pt 2" (9:33) some pretty tedious and monotonous vocal lines (both lead and beckground) (sorry if the words are supposed to be interesting enough in and of themselves: they aren't) drive the first six minutes of this before the instrumentalists get their chance to entertain us. The band does a much better job with guitars and keys providing some pretty interesting sound expressions both within musical structures and as the music decays into chaos at the end. (17.33333/20)

3. "Down in Darkness Pt 3" (20:20) more classic-sounding blues rock jamming--sounding something like a cross between Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Thin Lizzy, only not quite as dynamic or sophisticated. The added percussion track in the thirteenth minute is just weird--followed by an over-extended space/FX passage (meant to impress exactly who? Come on: This is the 21st Century!) After over three minutes of suffering, the drums and organ try to push through the murk of the cyber-jam but are then pushed back into the MOTORPSYCHO Doldrums/Gyre/Flotsam. At the 18-minute mark the band emerges as if out of the bowels of the Earth as a laid-back folk rock band singing some kind of optimistic pop sing-a-long. (It's nice but so incongruous with the rest of the song/album--hard to rectify and then assign a rating to). (35/40)

Total Time 42:09

More often than not the music throughout this album plods along like a blues rock band experimenting about without goals or direction back in the 1960s. I imagine that even Led Zeppelin could run astray if their musical jams were to go on for over ten minutes or more (which may be why no one remembers "In My Time of Dying" or "Achilles Last Stand").

B-/3.5 stars; for fans/completionists only--or those prog lovers who can't get enough of the sounds and experimentation of the 1960s.

Report this review (#2974136)
Posted Thursday, December 14, 2023 | Review Permalink

ARABS IN ASPIC The Magic of Sin ratings only


chronological order | showing rating only

Post a review of ARABS IN ASPIC The Magic of Sin


You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.