ETANG ROUGE

The fourth album from this heir to the French prog rock throne. The one occupied by Ange. Magnesis is in that style, although they are neo prog. Or perhaps, Neo-Ange is a better term.

Yes, they are in the Ange mode and that also goes for this album. But they also implement the 1930s cafe music style as Edit Piaf was so famous for. Add some Marillion type of guitar solos and riffs to the stew and a lot of classical music. Voila ! You have Magnesis on this album.

The vocals are strong and so is the general musicianship here. No gripes there.

There is no denying I am getting more and more into this band as time goes by. On this album though, the neo-prog influences are a bit too strong and this album is short of great songs. But this is still a good album although I would not choose this album if I was new to this band. But anyone will get a lot of pleasures from this album.

3 stars

After ''Absintheisme'' a new line-up around singer Eric Tillerot was meant to be established for Magnesis.Jean Pierre Matelot, a keyboard player and a guest in the previous album, became a permanent member and main composer of the band.Olivier Gauclin Tetu took over the guitars and now Frederic Munier handled the bass.The drumming was split between Sylvain Camusat and Denis Codfert.The new Magnesis face recorded the band's fourth studio album ''Etange rouge'', based on a story by Magnesis' author Frederic Przybyl and around lyrics written by Tillerot.The album was a private press, distributed though by Musea Records.

As time goes by Magnesis sound more tight and mature, no question about it.The style of the band hasn't change a bit, remaining somewhere between melodic Neo Prog and Theatrical Progressive Rock in the vein of ANGE, IQ, MONA LISA, CLEPSYDRA, GENESIS and ATOLL.But this time the compositions seem more ealaborate, delicate and with less raw parts and fillers.Nice piano parts, bombastic synthesizers and melodic solos are the main characteristics of Magnesis' sound and the ethereal instrumental passages give place to vocal-based passages, hailed by Tillerot's clean and melodramatic performances.Additionally the band does a great use of sampled flutes and harpsichords at moments to give their sound a more symphonic feeling.The production remains decent, the melodies are stronger than ever and there is always a fine alternation between dramatic parts and more pleasant instrumental themes.

The strongest effort by Magnesis thus far.Unlikely to leave a Neo Prog fanatic unsatisfied but also warmly recommended to all fans of melodic but still demanding Progressive Rock with a theatrical edge...3.5 stars.