JOSEPH MAGAZINE

One of the most intresting progressive metal bands I've come across in last years is for sure polish band named Joseph Magazin. They released so far a single album in 2011 named Night of the red sky. At first glance the name Joseph Magazin looks like is from a pop band from mid to late '80s, but in fact is quite opposite, is from a prog metal band from newer generation. Now, I cans ay with my hand on heart that Night of the red sky is one of the best and most well crafted prog metal albums I've ever heared, and belive me I've heard hundreds of bands from this scene in last 20 plus years. The musicianship is top notch, every instrument sounds crystal clear, colorful arrangements, lots of breaks and changes in tempo but always the melodic lines are present, no unncesary noodlings here. The atmosphere is impressive, Marcin Walecki use a large varity of keyboards palletes to create some special moods, when is very atmospheric when is all over the place, but each time in combination with Bartosz Socha guitar lines the result is excellent. Very solid druming and aswell quite impressive bass chops, complicated as hell, very very nice. The album is 95% instrumental, quite technical but yet melodic, only sporadicaly some spoken words apear here and there, so they had enough room to show that they mean bussines in this field, also the spoken words are extremly intresting. All pieces are solid as rock, this is the real deal in prog metal and how I wanted to be a prog metal album. I was very impressed and for that I'll give easy 4 stars, 4.5 in places, highly recommended for prog metal fans. Intresting art work. One of the best in this field in last years.

But, analyzing tracks one by one, I just have many good impressions for their debut album. Something too difficult is to build a very good instrumental song in Prog Metal, and these guys know how to do it. In the other hand, I miss the voice too much. I have tried to understand why the voice does not appear too much, but finally I had prefered to listen more singing parts. They have a good opportunity to focus on the next album and try to consolidate together as a band and the composition ideas.

It worths it!