MAJESTIC

I agree with razifa that this is not "progressive" rock/metal. This is straight-ahead Power Metal. If you like Power Metal, it's not bad, but there are certainly much better albums out there. I agree that keyboardist Andersson is amazing, but unlike razifa, I don't think the real problem here is the guitars. I think the real problem is the insane amount of noodling from the keyboards combined with a bad sound mix. I mean, this sounds to me like a Power Metal band recorded an album and then a hot shot keyboardist came along and overdubbed a bunch of crazy wankery at a volume higher than the rest of the album so that you'd be sure to hear what he was doing at all times. Some people might enjoy that, actually!

I do enjoy the following tracks and will rotate them onto my iPod for my "workout" playlist: Entering the Arena I'll Shoot The Moon Curtain of Fire Approaching the Storm

The rest of this is throwaway material and it really is because the keyboards sometimes get just plain annoying. I'll give it two stars. I do enjoy the four tracks I listed, but really... that's less than half of the album. 2.3 stars.

Majestic second album from 2000 named Trinity overture. Well, first thing that stroke me when I opened the page of this band here, was the low ratings this album has, under 2.50 was the rate, really was a real shock for me, second thing , was that only 2 reviewers before me was intrested in this album. Now, about the music, is something between Yngwie Malmsteen neo classical varation and themes and Symphony X progressive metal arrangements = Majestic. As I said on the first album , Majestic was a real promessing progressive metal from Swedem, but something made them stop after only two albums. The main man behind the band , the virtuoso keyboardist Richard Andersson, did albost all the pieces here, and is shown on every track how good this guy is when he put the hands on his Yamaha keyboards. Amazing skills, great musichianship, brilliant arrangements, why is treated this album so low I don't really understand. Trinity overture has all the ingredients to be a good album, and he is no matter other said, can go hand in hand with any Malmsteen, Symphony X or even Time Requiem or Space Odyssey (two band where featurs Andersson on keys after he disbanded this band Majestyc). All the pieces stands as good, not a weak moment, the vocalist and guitarist did a great job here, specially on pieces like Entering the Arena, The Rapture of Canaan or Confucius, real great prog metal pieces. So, finally an underrated band and both albums are worthy every second. Not better than predecesor not weaker, same level, it's a pitty that they disbanded after this release. I have both albums since were released 1999 and 2000, and from then 'till now it was a real pleasure to listen to these two albums every time I has the occasion.3 star easely.

Good neo-classic progressive metal

Quite good deput by this swedish band in Malmsteen - Stratovarius vein with a lot of keys and guitars. I will be short here, the best track is by far Golden Sea - who has one of the best solos i ever heared on a prog metal band, super. The rest are also good but not realy essential. Anyway 3 stars for this Majestic debut, not bad at all but not sothing special either. If you are a fan of Malmsteen, Stratovarius, this is the answear.

Majestic made 2 studio albums as far as i know, and Abstract Symphony is far better than the other album Trinity Overture. The guitarist and the keyboard master did a great job in this one. They are real virtuoses in my opinion. But so far, i only meant about the performances. Sorry but, i will not say they are too much "inspired" by Malmsteen (the word "inspiration" is soft here , moreover, some songs are so obviously ripped off that i couldn't believe my ears. Despite the unoriginality, some songs and - guitar&keyboard- solos are so energeti and successfully performed that, you may be surprised... The vocalist has a very good voice, but some performance weaknesses can also be observed in some parts. The drumming and bass playing is also very good in the Abstract Symphony...

Firstable, there is something I will say and I want to be emphatic before I continue typing: MAJESTIC IS NOT PROGRESSIVE, this band plays neo-classical power metal. I do not have anything against power, indeed there are many formidable and take- breathing bands but I am affraid Majestic should not be here. Anyway, as one of the reviewers said and I agree completely, I think I am supposed to review an album based not on how much progressive it is but on the music itself so...

Majestic is a really interesting band, the keyboardist Richard Andersson plays also in Adagio, and he is well recognized (in Adagio and Majestic) as a real masterful genious, the perfect man on keyboards any metal band dream of. His dominion on complicated melodies and ambient sounds are really wonderful, maybe as good as Jens Johansson. By the way, the vocals of Apollo Papathansio are extremely good, a singer who fits very well on Majestic style. The bass guitar and drums play well and they deserve no critics at all.

But the problem, I mean, the real deffect in this album are the guitars. I do not want to be rude but honest: they are simple HORRIBLE, insipid solos, no inspiration, no technical performance, no power at all, the incongruency of the guitars by the side of Andersson make of this album a real shame. Personally, I think that the most attractive thing in Power Metal is the presence of force, (power I mean) that's why we call it "Power Metal" don't we?? There is no such force in Majestic.This disc is a total asymmetry, perfect keyboards, vocals but poor guitars arrangements.

Objectively, the production is perfect, and so the coordination and quality of musicanship but the lack of innovation and power are enough to penalize the release. That is the reason this album does not deserves no more than 2 1/2 stars (And I am being generous). There is no balance, the keybords occuppies predominantly every space and leave no opportunity to the rest of the members of the band to do their job. Perhaps, the problem is not Andersson, he does a great job and do it well but the rest of the band is out.

Well but, we do need to be so closed-mind to thow away the whole record ito the wastebasket. There are two very good tracks "The Rapture of Cannan", indeed my favorite and "Confusicus". Anderson shows haw to play music and he do it in no better manner. They are good but could be better with a real guitar man.

CONCLUSION:

If you like Stratovarius, Sonata Artica and late Kamelot or you just want to listen a marvelous keyboardist you will probably enjoy this album a lot and give it one or two more stars than I did.

If you preffer Blind Guardian and Lost Horizon, I recommend you to listen to it before buying it. If you are an Andersson fan you need it.

But if you like real progressive metal, complex riffs like Dream Theater or the evocative melodies of Shadow Gallery, listen to it if you want to but DO NOT buy it!

2.5 out of 5 really

Good Progressions!!!

This is the debut album from the Swedish Neo classic, progressive Power Metal band MAJESTIC. MAJESTIC was former in 1997 with members who have previously played with bands such as The DRUGS, ESPINOZA, NASTY IDOLS, ORIGINAL SIN, POLE POSITION, RAMPAGE, SAD WINGS and TENEBRE. They are brilliant and highly technical musicians with a top-notch singer that sounds like mix between Graham Bonnet, Göran Edman and Joe Lynn Turner. The music has strong melodies with choruses that stick to your mind already after the first listening. When the instrumental passages comes in there are stunning duels between guitars and keyboards. Their music is reminiscent to Yngwie MALMSTEEN, Lars Eric MATTSSON, NARNIA, RAINBOW and STRATOVARIUS. The highlights are the opening instrumental "Medieval Nights", "Golden Sea", "Standing Alone", "Crimson Sun", "Nitro Pitbull" and the closing bonus track "Silence". This is a very impressive debut album. Maybe it would've been even better if the Yngwie MALMSTEEN influences hadn't been that obvious. VERY GOOD.