It takes a bold band to start off an album with an 18-minute epic. Make no mistake, Magic Pie is audacious. Its new album, Maestro, kicks off with “Opus Imperfectus Pt. 1 – The Lost Chord”. And it is 18 minutes long. In this case, that’s a good thing, with shifting melody and time changes that reflect the influence of various Neal Morse outfits (and the occasional musical reference to Deep Purple, David Bowie, and Pink Floyd).
The thing – people – that takes this to a new level include composer/guitarist Kim Stenberg and keyboardist Erling Henninger, who throw off solo riffs that are both evocative and energetic. These two deserve more attention in the land of prog; they are top-notch.
The rhythm section of bassist Lars Petter Holstad and drummer Martin Utby keeps things lively yet on track. And Eirikur Hauksson gives voice to the music and his lyrics, providing personality and character; some have compared his singing to that of Ian Gillan of Deep Purple, and there are some similarities.
Oh, and back to the record. None of the other songs is up to 10 minutes long. “By the Smokers Pole” is a smoldering blues ballad that showcases Stenberg’s guitar. “Name It to Tame It” is a hard rocker that emphasizes Hauksson’s singing. “Kiddo…” is the shortest cut at just over 2 minutes; it’s an acoustic piece that leads right into “Someone Else’s Wannabe”. This song rocks; it’s filled with hooks and abrupt time changes to keep it within the progressive rock realm. The next song, “Everyday Hero”, is in that same vein, although with a harder edge. These two songs really provide an appealing foundation similar to previous Magic Pie albums (and this is their sixth).
Rounding out the festivities is a coda, of sorts: “Opus Imperfectus Pt. 2 – Maestro”. Musically, it harkens back to the intro track, yet it also provides a somewhat different approach to it, with greater vocal harmonies rounding out the sound (a la Queen) and Stenberg’s blazing guitar raising the emotional quotient up a notch.
If you haven’t heard of Magic Pie before, this is a great starting point. Maestro is Prog at its best, showcasing great music performed by truly talented musicians. It is foreground music – you’ll want to concentrate on listening, not sticking the songs in the background of whatever you’re doing. They’re too good to relegate to wallpaper. And that’s true, no matter what the length of the piece is. This is Magic Pie’s time – boldly and audaciously presented.
Musicians:
- Kim Stenberg / Guitars, vocals
- Lars Petter Holstad / Bass, vocals
- Eirikur Hauksson / Lead vocals
- Martin Utby / Drums
- Eirik Hanssen / Vocals
- Erling Henanger / Keyboards, vocals
Maestro Track-list:
- Opus Imperfectus Pt. 1 – The Missing Chord (18:29)
- By the Smoker’s Pole (4:19)
- Name It to Tame It (7:10)
- Kiddo… (2:12)
- Someone Else’s Wannabe (7:34)
- Everyday Hero (5:10)
- Opus Imperfectus Pt. 2 – Maestro (4:17)
Order Maestro here
Fearlessly grand and technically dazzling, Maestro finds Magic Pie firing on all cylinders, blending prog ambition with real emotional weight. This is a band making a loud, proud case for their place at the top of the prog-rock food chain
- Songwriting
- Musicianship
- Originality
- Production
