Magic Pie
Circus Of Life

Dedicated to those who are crazy about Dreamtheater. That is, three-quarters of the DeBaser population, at least according to the number of reviews in the archive.

And it's known, more than what is said about something, it is the amount of words spent that reveals the feeling one has towards it.

But in today's popularity rankings, a really good band could stand alongside the kings of prog metal. They are Magic Pie.

Coming from Norway, their music is a progressive metal with a high technical rate and with that “sentimental” ingredient typical of LaBrie & co.'s repertoire. Yes, precisely the kind that makes us at DeBaser dream so much! This “Circus of Life” is dated 2007 (I've just heard that they've released another album these days) and it is an excellent record.

After a rarefied atmospheric intro that preludes the title track suite (forty-five minutes divided into five acts), the first progressive surges arrive with the crescendos of “Freakshow”. And here... Well, what can I say? They are amazing, no doubt about it: symphonic prog with metal mixed to arrogance (the genre seems to lend itself well, apparently). See also “Trick of the Mind”, the fourth act of the saga, where they range from ballad to gallop with epic solos.

The singer’s voice resembles that of a Bruce Dickinson, but more feminine.

Their flaw is that as long as they push on the metal pedal, they are a thrilling spectacle, but if they slow the pace, the emotion quickly dwindles (for example the dull “What If...”).

However, they vary a lot, just listen to the peak of the album, “Pointless Masquerade”, with those oriental-like references accompanying the beautiful play of vocal harmonies.

Well... do you like them? I believe that if properly pushed, they could inaugurate a new stream of reviews here on DeBaser. Not to retire Portnoy and company, don't worry (oops... what’s that you say? He's not there anymore?!), but to have a worthy counterpart to direct the highest praise towards, or – for those who wish – the most envious criticisms.