Mägo De Oz
Gaia II

According to my legendary Spanish professor, paella is very simple to make, and anyone who claims there is a true and only recipe either isn't Spanish or hasn't understood a damn thing. Yes, I admit I took some liberties in conveying the essence of Prof. Javier, but the "grab a pan and throw in everything you have in the fridge" I remember well. Paella, in fact, is a dish made of leftovers, excellent leftovers, put together to avoid wasting anything. The result? Astonishing.

Mägo de Oz are a musical paella. This band, incredibly hot live, and extremely competent from a technical point of view, has exploded in their homeland for quite some time. Here, on the other hand, they became known to a few only with "Finisterra" (their best album) and "Gaia I" and "Gaia II". Today, I want to talk about their latest product: "Gaia II".

First of all, you can't find the album in your local store as the production of their record label doesn't care about the non-Iberian market (they sing in Spanish and fill arenas in their homeland). So, if I manage to intrigue you with what's next: kick the mule or order online.

Let's go back to the paella. The comparison came to mind not only because I'm writing with the pot on my desk but because the genre of Mägo de Oz is just like this forkful I'm about to eat (and which I sincerely hope to digest before today's training begins): indecipherable!

Let's start with the certainties. Mägo de Oz are completely crazy and perverted. Come on, take a good look at the cover and the back of the booklet. Can you spot the jungle of penises and vaginas walking across the floor??? Arm yourself with a dictionary and read some of their hymns!!! These Iberians are a band that in every note exudes lightheartedness, lightness, and positive energy. They are jokers, indefatigable party-goers who express their commendable status through a sunny sound that draws heavily from folk, the classic metal of Maiden (with powerful riffs and magnificent solos), the fastest power, the epic, and even symphonic. A paella played and sung divinely for an exaggerated, powerful, and absolutely unique sound that recalls only and exclusively Mägo de Oz. Where on earth can you find breaks where guitars, violins, and flutes join for wonderful and complex crescendos while truly superb vocal lines for extension and passion intertwine?? The tempo changes also characterize a compelling rhythm section that ranges from very slow to double pedal.

Mägo de Oz unveil a very long double CD (15 tracks) with two eternal suites in which you can find just about everything. The quake-like, exaggerated, and mutable "Voz Dormita" encapsulates all the essence of the Spaniards: it will be enough to listen to it even casually to understand if they are for you or not, as our friends, besides dividing a lot between detractors and fans, release qualitatively heterogeneous albums. So, give it a try and let me know: I can't tear myself away from it. Sorry for the brevity, but I must go jump in the gym. I hope I've conveyed the idea.