Magia Nera
L'ultima danza di Ophelia

THE REVIEW

An obscure creature of Italian hard prog reemerges from the mists of mythical and mythological times: Magia Nera. With a name like that, it's not surprising to find the commendable Black Widow as the label for this album, which is being released now but was conceived in the early '70s. The group was born at the end of the '60s in the vicinity of La Spezia and was formed by musicians who had cut their teeth in the beat groups of the time, playing famous covers of the era. Magia Nera—the name is attributed to a former member passionate about occultism, as was in vogue at the time; consider the fame of a character like Aleister Crowley—were then struck by the sounds of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath. They began playing around Italy at various festivals of the time, where they received excellent feedback from the popular magazine Ciao 2001 after a performance at the Free Festival Pop di Bottagna. At that point, the group seemed to be on a path that would have led them to release an album for Aldo De Scalzi's Magma and to support the New Trolls. However, nothing came of it due to personal differences. But, decades later, for the sake of Italian music culture and history, Magia Nera reunited and finally recorded that legendary lost album, which now sees the light of day. The Last Dance of Ophelia is imbued with a hard-rock sound that pays its tribute to the giants of the era but with a genuinely Italian feel. Although it is a derivative work, it is rich with timeless occult charm that will take you back to the atmosphere and creativity of the early '70s. Available at Black Widow: http://www.blackwidow.it/ .