MAGIC PIE

The 6th album from Norwegian Prog band Magic Pie, known for their intricate compositions, symphonic arrangements and blend of classic and modern influences. This new album has a definite emphasis (perhaps too much emphasis) on incorporating 70's-80's melodic and hard rock along with their prog elements. The album contains some brilliant sections, particularly on the more proggy album centerpiece, the 18 plus minute Opus Imperfectus Part 1, of which the concluding Part 2 closes the album, but the album also contains some rather cringey sections with their embrace of generic 70's hard rock on some tracks (particularly Name It to Tame It and Everyday Hero). So, the album has some pretty big ups and downs, but overall, still a good album worth checking out. Rating: 3

I am excited by the album I am about to listen to for the first time today, Magic Pie's new album "Maestro". Kim Stenberg and company last released an album back in 2019, so we are quite ready to delve into some new musical adventures from them.

Disclosure for transparency. After posting my Spotlight on Magic Pie 2 months ago in March of 2025 (Which I will post below the review), Anne-Claire of BadDog productions reached out to me to review and feature some of her artists, but there is no compensation outside of digital files of the music for review purposes, and I choose what I want to write about, and express my opinions freely. I am free to post about any artist, regardless of whether they are represented by her or not.

With that out of the way, let's get a taste of some new Magic Pie! (As usual, this is a cold listen, with the exception of Everyday Hero, which I have heard once.)

Here is the line-up for this outing:

- Kim Stenberg / guitars, vocals - Lars Petter Holstad / bass, vocals - Eirikur Hauksson / lead vocals - Martin Utby / drums - Eirik Hanssen / vocals - Erling Henanger / keyboards, vocals

This is the same lineup as the 2019 album, with the exception of Utby taking over on drums from Jan Johannessen.

Track 1 - Opus Imperfectus Pt. 1, The Missing Chord

Yay! We jump right in with an 18:29 epic. (The album ends with the much shorter Part 2 of this song.) We begin with a low drone, and brass instruments and some subtle cymbal taps. Do we have a full orchestra here? String sounds join in as well, joined by harmony vocals in a choir like manner. A crescendo brings the full band in shortly after the one-minute mark. They play a glorious introduction with some great drum fills from Martin Utby. I believe they are establishing a theme that we will return to throughout the track. There is an amazing unison run on guitar and keys at around the two minute mark. A cool odd-meter groove begins around 2:15. Great piano at around 3 minutes. We go back to a moderately slow 4-4 at around 3:30. Some more lovely piano playing at around 4:00 leads in the vocals for the first time which begin at around 4:15. I love how prog intros often outlast entire standard songs! The first verse has acoustic strumming with 4 on the floor bass drumbeats. Gradually more instruments enter, along with vocal harmonies. The style is best described as such: if Dream Theater, Spock's Beard and the Flower Kings each represent points of a triangle, Magic Pie is in the center of the triangle. There is a nice instrumental turn around between verses at around 5:30. At about the 7-minute point, the tempo slows down and there is a brief instrumental feature. That leads to a very quiet section with vocals and string sounds (perhaps mellotron). The keys continue as Stenberg's guitar takes the spotlight with long sustained chords. The band kicks in heavier at around 8:45. There is a cool siren effect that brings the vocals back in. Eirikur Hauksson has a powerful and slightly gruff tone; he carries the melody well. I like the heavy riff in this section. Cool accent at around 10:10. A new groove begins around 10:45. It gets a bit jazzy, with an electric piano solo. Utby and Holstad keep a tight rhythm for the soloists, as Stenberg returns on guitar. Nice shredding at 13:30 as the groove begins to rock out again. By 14:50 we are getting seriously proggy, and getting a bit more into the DT part of the triangle. Don't get me wrong, everything is pure Magic Pie magic, but I am just providing a point of comparison. In the section around 16 minutes and beyond, there are deep, rich, harmony vocals that remind me of a men's choir. The key changes on the final vocal harmony chord, and synth tones fade out, bringing the amazing opening epic to a close.

Track 2 - By the Smoker's Pole

A few sustained guitar notes begin the song, and the lead vocals soon join in with accompaniment from electric guitar and electric piano each making use of a tremolo effect. Very bluesy at the beginning. More instruments, including bass enter at around 1 minute for the second verse. Nice harmonies around 1:20. They return around 1:50. The drums kick in around the 2-minute mark, but only briefly. They kick back in heavier at 2:45. A melodic guitar solo follows. Nice choir-like effect on the keys! Amazing scale runs at around 3:45. Sustained notes close out this relatively short track. Nice song!

Track 3- Name It to Tame It

This one is a bit longer at 7:10. This starts right out with the full band rockin'! Excellent solo from Stenberg. This one is giving me Deep Purple vibes. Great guitar fills between phrases. Henanger also gives us some fill on the keys. This one rocks hard! Until about 2:40 when it suddenly gets quieter and the keys are featured over a tricky groove. Harmony vocals take over on top of the same groove. We get heavy again at around 3:25. A keyboard solo happens around 3:45, followed by a shredding guitar solo from Stenberg. The riff at 4:20 is awesome! Lots of energy in this one! After a bridge, Stenberg continues his guitar masterclass. What a rocker! Great track!! File this one under heavy prog!

Track 4 - Kiddo?

This is by far the shortest track at only 2:12. It begins with a slow fade-in of wind effects. Keys join, then an acoustic guitar starts strumming along with flute-like sounds. The vocals enter at around the 1-minute mark asking, "Who are you kiddo?". Beautiful harmonies around 1:25. This seems to be warning young people to be wary of "multi- media influencers". Nice short track that leads to?

Track 5 - Someone Else's Wannabe

This is the second longest track at around seven and a half minutes. We begin with a power chord then a swirling keyboard part. More power chords lead to harmony vocals. A very complex run at around 20 seconds leads to a new section. What a dynamic intro! Around the 1-minute mark the first verse begins. Cool groove at around 1:30! Then amazing, panned left and right backing vocals that seem to float above the music somehow! I love the turnaround parts between verses. This is another high-energy song! I am loving this. There is a quieter bridge to give some contrast. This is followed by a smokin' organ solo! Then he switches to synth for some odd-meter prog- tastic playing with Stenberg on guitar. Another quiet section follows as we approach the 5-minute mark. There is a spoken voice saying something I can't make out in the background. Maybe a band member might be kind enough to shed a little light on that? Another spectacular guitar solo follows. Then a closing chorus followed by a keyboard part that fades the song to a close.

Track 6 - Everyday Hero

As the lead-off single, this is the one track I have previously heard. The intro reminds me of "Desperate Times" from Kansas' "Freaks of Nature" album. The vocals come in soon after. This one has a feel somewhere between classic hard rock and 80s commercial metal. Fantastic, stacked harmonies in the pre-chorus. The vocals at 2:10 have a new-wave vibe. I can pick-up some Styx in there too! Stenberg continues to dazzle on guitar as does Henanger on the keys. I just figured out why I keep getting Deep Purple vibes too?Hauksson's voice reminds me a little of Ian Gillan. Superb guitar tag at the end! Another great track!

Track 7 - Opus Imperfectus Pt. 2?Maestro

And we close the album by returning to the last 4:17 of the opening epic. Echoey sustained guitar notes lead the vocals in. More great harmony singing at around 30 seconds and a drum fill leads the rest of the band in. The lyrics "Maestro, your masterpiece remains your legacy for future generations, for all time!" seem quite appropriate here, as Magic Pie have delivered an amazing album, that might even be their best one yet! And I have enjoyed every album they have put out up to this point. The arrangement of this song is incredible. Stenberg needs more recognition as a top-notch guitarist! He continues to impress, as does the rest of the band. I love the harmonized guitar parts with the big half time feel as we reach the close, they land on a minor chord after the triumphant major key segment, and keyboard parts close the album out. Wow, what an amazing finale to an incredible album.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

As I mentioned above, Magic Pie have delivered a masterpiece that shows them worthy of being mentioned alongside fellow Scandinavians The Flower Kings, as one of the great modern prog bands! I loved every moment of this album. I would be remiss if I did not mention Jacob Holm-Lupo's masterful mix-job, well done! If you enjoy a hard rock edge to your prog, I recommend checking this album out without reservation; I'll even encourage it. 2025 is a great year so far to be a prog fan, with so many major releases. But definitely make sure this one is on your list to buy or stream! This is an easy 5 out of 5 stars.

"King for a Day" is all over the place--Magic Pie is classified here as symphonic prog, but given the variety of sounds on this album, there's a lot more going on. It's diverse enough that I'm going to have to break it down song by song.

"Trick of the Trade" is symphonic prog, reminiscent of Spock's Beard. It's a good song. Symphonic prog fans will probably enjoy this. Good but not great.

"Introversion" plays around with a lot of prog genres--the first few minutes is symphonic prog, then some brief flirting with something close to progressive metal, followed by some neo-prog. Magic Pie really does excel at the prog metal and neo-prog portions, but the first few minutes of this song ruin things.

"According to Plan" continues the symphonic prog, and is the worst song on the album.

"Tears Gone Dry" has prog metal vibes, although it doesn't get particularly heavy. Excellent song.

"The Silent Giant" is awesome. The shortest song on the album, and I can't help but be reminded at times of Ayreon-- light prog metal, expertly wrought.

The last song, the title track, is 27 minutes long and all over the place. It ends on a good note, but the rest of the song isn't that great.

Ultimately, "King for a Day" tries to please fans of all prog sub-genres, a rather impossible task. And that's unfortunate, because there are some real gems here--songs and parts of songs that really stand out. But there's too much skippable and too much just okay content here to be considered excellent. 3.5 stars.

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

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

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

Circus if life is the 2nd studio album by #progmasters Norweian band Magic Pie, and I say prog masters because they just do it all and they do it masterfully! Every sub genre is present in their music somehow, sometimes even in the same song without you even noticing it, incredible. Heavily influenced by the 70's usual suspects and the early #progressivemetal scene they know how to flawlessly combine all those elements and produce a unique sound that will get your attention forever, guaranteed!

The album opens with the 45min title track that is divided in 5 parts being the 4th also sub divided in another 4 acts, quite an statement for a sophomore album. An immense track that portrays everything this incredible band is capable of doing. Heavy and very metallic moments elegantly shuffled with melodic memorable hooks, the type you always end craving for more. Superb!

Welcome, Freakshow, What If?, Trick of the Mind (the epic within the epic) and The Clown, what a journey people!

Then there are two more tracks, both again magnificent and non less memorable than the title track, at times sounding out of concept but unquestionably belonging to the whole creation, rounding up the corners and giving a sense of a full circle for the Circus. Pointless Masquerade and my favorite of the two the fun and catchy Watcher of the Waters.

I will insist like every time I talk about this band, how aren't the immense worldwide? Like why don't they have their own plane!? Jejejejeje? I got carried on sorry but seriously, what a great bunch of serious musicians. Hope they release new material soon, I bet it will be their 6th gem! Enjoy!

The Suffering Joy is the third studio album from Norwegian symphonic metal progressive band Magic Pie. A life's work is the epic album opener marking roughly 25mins of pure prog bliss. The suite is divided in four songs: 1.1 Questions Unanswered it's a simple open omg melody that allows the vocal introduction to the lyrical content of the concept album, life! What is it?; 1.2 Overture delivers the first instrumental passage of the experience, showcasing the flawless way this band has to blend symphonic rock and progressive metal, with Neo passages and catchy pop-like melodies, guitar attack (electric and acoustic), heavy and filling synths plus an outstanding rhythmic section; 1.3 A Brand New Day brings the first vocal harmonies to the game smartly displaying what the next 20 or so minutes will really be about, incredible melodic musical crafting accompanied by perfectly suited instrumentation? this time including some flute sounding synths and leading way to the next chapter, the title track; 1.4 The Suffering Joy is the epic within the epic. Catchy guitar riffing and full display of power bu the band, with all the ingredients you would expect from modern symphonic prog! Teasing on and off with progressive metal guitar melodies and vocalizing, and back to the symphonic? its a journey so nice to take and listen to, everything is plated so carefully that even the female backing vocals do their part and generate expectations on further listens? crazy right? Not yet? wait until guitar-synth-melodic battle starts? those melodic solos are the ones that really got me into this band, everything has being later appreciated with time and dedication, and the result is perfect. "Wherever you are, no matter near or far, whatever you say your sins won't fade away, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, do you know where you are?. And the masterful symphonic-metal game continues for another blessed 10mins or so, symphonic climax, and then melodies start getting even better, stronger and more beautiful as time progresses, difficult to ignore this type of musicianship and music composing, is really mind-blowing, at least to me. Let's get out of the rabbit hole and go back to the album! Headlines is like the much needed balance the album needed after the previous display, teasing with Neo prog musical structure with fantastic synths, various layers of melodic madness that compete with the guitars for that leading role. A mix of Pink Floyd, Beatles and Kansas vocal harmonies navigate on top of the music like in a Broadway play where somehow the production achieves the hard task of not letting any ingredient overpower the rest; and then the guitar soloing again before a comeback to the acoustic mellower Neo prog tune. Simple (compare to more complex sections of the album) but memorable, with shredding guitars and sing-a-long vocals, a familiar place where to stay for a bit before immersing into an even more soft and calm episode. Endless Ocean stays on the acoustic and harmonizes atmosphere that the previous track teased about, roughly 3mins of melodic magic, a little percussion and more vocal harmonies, beautiful.

Slightly Mad is just about that, the band becomes slightly and madly symphonic again, but of course with the metal punch and this time with an upper tempo and crazy and apparently disorganized synths, just an illusion as everything makes sense to delight the listener, again and again. I really like the different acoustic guitar arrangements all throughout the album, but here they are a highlight, because they do soften the feel but without interfering in the overall velocity of the track. The galactic synths are the ones providing most of the madness, and the drums the main instrument keeping the engaged listener alert to immediate changes to come. Funky jazz suddenly intervenes letting the guitars (electric this time) do their part and show the unquestionable virtuosity of the player. Female backing vocals again, just a little but enough to sugar coat all that's happening, wonderful.

Tired. Close your eyes and let this power prog ballad absorb your senses and immerse you in a melodic guitar-synth labyrinth, almost 16mins of non stop guitar licking, vocal harmonies and real human situations, beautifully portrayed and flawlessly played. Once more the metal riffing component that alongside the frenetic drumming injects that power metal feeling that is so intricate to the band's sound since the beginning, they blend those two genres (symphonic prog and progressive metal) so well sounding like a Genesis that meets Dream Theater but with a pinch of Kansas, crazy good! "I'm tired of all the hatred, the heartache and the pain, I'm tired of all the sickness that drives our world insane"? so actual and true!

In memoriam closes this fantastic album with a darker and creepier melodies than those on the preceding songs, instantly capturing the listener with those guitars, so well crafted and executed. It sometimes reminds me of IQ, maybe a little bit slower and with a higher pitch but definitely almost crossing towards the Neo prog scene?Marshall's keys accompany the leading guitars so majestically that one can only but forget how melancholic and dar the melodies are, all the vocals, leading and backing come together to elegantly bring closure to the experience, while the rhythmic section imprints its farewell leaving nothing but exit-like sounds from the synths & guitars. The suffering Joy!

2015 saw the Norwegians return with their fourth album, and right from the off they are punching hard with all their tricks and flicks on show. This time the longest song is at the end (a mere 27 minutes in length) and instead they start with one of the shortest. Their combination of complex guitar/bass/ keyboard runs are some of the best around, often moving them far more into rock and hard territory than many other symphonic bands around. Musically they are staying in the same territory they have made their own, namely Gentle Giant and City Boy trading yarns with Genesis, Spock's Beard and Enchant, to create something which is incredibly complex, yet with amazing hooks and harmony vocals.

All the material is accessible, with songs such as 'Introversion' having a massive chorus. This is an incredibly powerful driving rock number showing way more confidence than the title may lead one to imagine. The keyboards and guitar intertwine, sharing leads, and everyone apart from drummer Jan T. Johannessen joins in on vocals. The album was mixed and mastered by none other than Rich Mouser (Spock's Beard, Transatlantic, Neal Morse, Dream Theater) so of course the sound is spot on, and given his experience with bands who work in a similar musical area he knew exactly what he was looking for. To date the band have released five albums, all incredibly powerful and dynamic, and any one of them is the perfect introduction to a band any proghead should be familiar with.

This 2011 album was the third from Norwegian progressive rock band Magic Pie, but it had been four years since 'Circus Of Life', during which time they had one of their lead singers in Allan Olsen, and he had been replaced by Eirikur Hauksson. Losing a lead singer is never good for any band, no matter the genre, but when the band is heavily based around vocal harmonies then that is even a greater loss. However, here the guys found someone who slotted right in and the band kept going in the same manner they had previously. This is symphonic progressive rock heavily influenced by the classic Seventies sound of British bands such as Gentle Giant (in particular), the more recent American acts such as Spock's Beard (who share many of the same influences of course) and Enchant, plus a more hard rock approach than many.

The result is a sound which is layered and lush, with organ tightly tied to complex guitar runs, and Hauksson combining with Eirik Hanssen in a twin vocal approach which brings forth memories of classic Kansas with Steinhardt and Walsh. There are also little musical interludes which are classic City Boy, a band who will always be remembered in the UK for one hit single, but who released a series of amazing albums. Symphonic yet accessible, there is something about every Magic Pie release which is somehow both exciting yet welcoming, enthralling and engaging. Just for the hell of it they open the album with one song, broken into four parts, which is 25 minutes long! If that isn't confidence, I don't know what it is, and they nail it. The tight runs, particularly in 'Part 4', sound as if they are just one instrument yet sonically it is as least four, there really is no room for anyone to be even a split second out. Yet another supreme effort.

Norwegian band MAGIC PIE was formed back in 2001, and ever since they released their debut album "Motions of Desire" four years later they have been something of a household name in progressive rock circles, and gaining a reputation for being a solid and steady band both as recording artists and live performers. "Fragments of the 5th Element" is their fifth studio album, and was released through Norwegian label Karisma Records at the end of the summer of 2019.

Magic Pie is firmly established as a quality provider of retro-oriented progressive rock of the kind that mix and blend elements of 70's style symphonic progressive rock and certain aspects of the more art-oriented hard rocks band from the same era into a tight, compelling and often energetic package. Their songs are of high quality throughout their career, their albums are very well mixed and produced, and their reputation as a rock solid band will be further emphasized by this latest album of theirs. If you aren't yet aware of this band, this latest album is as good a place to start with them as any other. And if you know and love this band, this latest production is more of the same. A rock solid production, and an album I suspect will hit quite a few top 10 lists that are published here and there these days.

When I hear Norwegian band Magic Pie's debut back in 2005 I was just blown away and moaned it had kept many other albums away from my CD player as I couldn't bring myself to take it off! They haven't been the most prolific since then, but they are now back with their fifth album, with the same line-up as the last album, 2015's 'King For A Day'. With only drummer Jan Johannessen not contributing vocals in the six-man line-up, and both Eirikur Hauksson and Eirik Hanssen not playing instruments, one might think this is a very vocal-heavy band. That is true in many respects, but this is a symphonic progressive rock band with complex arrangements who are never afraid to crank it up and blast through, just with wonderful harmonies over the top!

Inspired by classic Seventies bands, this is a rich feast for progheads as opposed to a simple single course. It twists, it turns, it moves and grooves, is easy to get inside yet at the same time there is a great deal going on. Just the opening power chord followed by complex keyboard runs of "The Man Who Had It All" had me invested in the album from the very start, smiling, waiting to see what was going to come next. That it slowed down, sped up, moved between piano and keyboards before the vocals started, just made me smile that much more. From there on it was heads down and stay focused as I just didn't want to miss anything that was going on. Gentle Giant are just one of the influences on display, yet often in a more commercial and rock-based manner.

"The Hedonist" is the final track on offer, a simple ditty of some 22 minutes in length which allows the band to really stretch their wings and show what they can achieve in an epic. Restraint is the order of the day, as the band take time to really get going, but when they do they show they have been paying attention to the likes of Spock's Beard and keep the interest going throughout. Somehow I missed the last two Magic Pie albums, I won't be making that mistake again. Superb.