MUSICAL WITCHCRAFT II - UTOPIA

Hey, this is an excellent addition to any prog music collection. (heheh)

From the booklet: "This new CD is a Musical Witchcraft project and not a "real" next solo album, so we would like to emphasize here the team-work."

In my opinion the Musical Witchcraft is really the heir to the Solaris tradition; beautiful melodies, excellent musicians. The music here is lighter than in the first Musical Witchcraft; maybe for the people used to Solaris's harder style it will be a bit hard to get used to this album, it has happened with me, but the music grows on you. The album does have its harder moments but it's overall lighter. Still, it's very recommended for any prog listener, and essential for any Solaris fan.

Utopia was released in 2002; Robi's solo, Meeting Point, is from 2000. It's about time we hear more great music from those masters. Come on Attila, leave those x-rays to someone else, we need you!

Musical Witchcraft's second album is perhaps even a notch above the previous first solo venture by Solaris' Attila Kollár, a bit mellower but still just as replete with Baroque and Renaissance musings. The nearly 20 minute "Utopia Suite" is comprised of four flute driven pieces, the first an acoustic guitar /flute pastoral romp, the second introducing that rippling Zsolt Vámos electric sizzle with brooding keys and solid bass and drum escorts. This has a strong Jethro Tull feel and will please fans to no end, the bluesy lead guitar solos being a particular highlight. The third segment features a simply heartrending melody on flute with violin, percussion and acoustic guitar, gentle as a morning summer breeze and full of romantic splendor. The violin solo is particularly sensitive and reinforces the strong classical slant that Kollár likes to infuse in his solo work. The fourth and final section returns to more adventurous realms with flute, violin and bass clarinet doing the rounds with liberal bursts of electric six-string magic, egged along by the pulsating rhythm section. "In the Hiding Place of Castles" soothes the senses with another bucolic Kollár promenade, full of amusing optimism and "Secrets of Morus" conjures up the opposite, full of fiery bluster that entices Vamos' axe to smolder unashamed in a long tortuous solo. The interaction with the feisty flute is astonishing and refreshing. The "Feast" has a noisy fair-like atmosphere that creates a party like mood that underlines the need to amusement. "Inquisition" is the wildest workout here with raging lead guitar, sultry violin and jaunty flute all vying for some justice, each soloing with utter abandon and then howling in unison, a major highlight of this disc, for sure. The "Tower" reintroduces the main flute theme again, this time with jazzy piano in the background, glitzy backing vocal crooning and cool cat jazz riffing by Vámos, a superb variation that makes the whole recording shine even brighter. "Utopia from the City" reprises the same theme in a more conventional prog setting, flute straight forward, organ blazing brightly and soaring electric guitar along for the sprightly ride. "Fairy Tale" ends this short gem on a delightful rustic finale. 4.5 broomsticks.

This is the second album from Musical Witchcraft, but this time it is very much a group album whereas the first was basically a solo album from Kollár Attila who is flautist with Solaris. It is mostly an instrumental album, with vocals only on two numbers, and while it is being pushed as a prog album it has at least as much in common with folk and also sometimes getting quite close to New Age. The album initially started life as flute-acoustic guitar compositions and although the music has then been arranged and expanded upon this is still the basis. The flute is often the lead instrument, as would be expected, and is constant throughout the album as the complete band does not play on every song, with the line-up changing as required. Sometimes the flute plays against a violin, and there is an interesting passage on one number where he is playing against a bassoon, which has to be said doesn't happen very often in prog music.

That is not to say that it is an acoustic album throughout and that the flute is always at the forefront as there are times when the electric guitar needs to take control. Overall an interesting album and while not as powerful as Mindflowers is still a fun album to listen to. www.perifericrecords.com

Originally appeared in Feedback #72, Feb 03