Welsh prog rockers MAGENTA are releasing their new album ”The White Witch : A Symphonic Trilogy”, through Tigermoth Records. The work musically and thematically completes the trilogy of songs that started back with the epic track ‘The White Witch’ from the band’s debut ‘Revolutions’ album and then ‘Lust’ from 2004’s ‘Seven’.
The new album completely reworks these two tracks and has a majestic new third composition – all with several sections / inside songs – that completes the recording.
The question is, do you have to know the earlier Magenta album pieces to enjoy or ‘get’ this new album? No, you don’t. ”The White Witch : A Symphonic Trilogy” stands on its own merits, engaging the listener with its combination of Christina Booth’s incredible vocal diversity and the lush, flowing, stirring and imaginative orchestrated music.
Magenta have always been a progressive rock band with a widescreen and symphonic nature to their music so it only seems natural that they should eventually go ‘fully classical’, with Robert Reed demonstrating his musical versatility and mastery of orchestration to describe an exciting tale.
”The White Witch” will be familiar with Magenta fans as they are drawn from the aforementioned Revolutions debut from over 20 years ago. What is less well known is that the track Lust on their landmark album ‘Seven’, from 2004, was the next part of the story of the White Witch.
‘Sacrifice’, the first part of this re-imagining and expansion of that story, is based on ‘The White Witch’ side of Revolutions, followed by ‘Retribution’, which is inspired by Lust. The third part, ‘Survival’, is a new piece to complete the story, although there are clearly some familiar themes drawn from the earlier albums running through it.
Les Penning, formerly associated with Mike Oldfield on his classic mid-’70s albums, provides suitably velvety tones as the ‘Storyteller’ at the beginning of each section.
Chris Fry, renowned for his soaring electric guitar solos, is equally skilled at weaving his musical web with beautifully played and magical classical guitar, which threads through the pieces. His interplay with the woodwind on ‘Sacrifice’ is particularly delightful. Chris has always been a stellar and mesmerising electric guitarist, and has shown some brief interludes of his equal mastery of the acoustic on previous Magenta albums and in concert, but on this album he displays his dexterity and touch on the classical guitar to wonderful effect.
This may be orchestrated music but there is still dynamism and excitement, particularly on ‘Retribution’ in which Fry’s dazzling classical skills convey the drama without the need for any electricity! Alongside Fry, Katie Axelsen on flute and Sam Baxster on oboe as featured soloists add beautiful textures to the main orchestration by Reed.
Magenta have always had probably the best female vocalist in modern progressive rock music in Christina Booth, and she has always held her own – and indeed flourished – amid the powerful instrumentation of the band.
However, the symphonic nature of ‘The White Witch’ is a wonderful vehicle in which she can shine, with more nuanced expression. Her voice is crystal clear, intuitively moving across the emotional spectrum and sounding vulnerable and fragile at times, particularly in ‘Sacrifice’. Elsewhere she is more joyous and commanding, particularly in the ‘Into Your arms, Sister Luna’ finale on ‘Retribution’.
Of course, in an album based on benign witchcraft, there has to be a central figure casting magical spells and directing proceedings – enter the keyboard and orchestral wizard Rob Reed. He has shared that film composers John Barry, Ennio Morricone and John Williams have all been massive influences on his work, and on this album he reaches for the heights of his heroes as he excels in composing sweeping, imaginative orchestral pieces evoking images and touching on emotions, particularly the stirring ‘Survival’.
This finale completes the tale as the White Witch, Sara, transforms into a ‘gift for mankind’, a positive force with the power to heal, ‘shining a light in the world’s darkest hours’.
Magenta continue to follow their own distinctive path, and with ”The White Witch : A Symphonic Trilogy” they have pulled off the trick of showing their versatility, treating us to a bewitching Symphonic and cinematic piece.
Tracklist:
1.Part 1 Sacrifice 22:25
2.Part 2 Retribution 15:27
3.Part 3 Survival 11:59
Total Time 49:51
line up:
- Robert Reed / orchestral arrangement
- Christina Booth / vocals
- Chris Fry / classical guitar
With:
- Les Penning / story teller
- Katie Axelsen / flute
- Sam Baxster / oboe
Magenta – The White Witch – A Symphonic Trilogy (2022)
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