ËMËHNTËHTT-RÉ

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.