I always will follow
Your wings will carry me when I fall
When I'm lost in the shadows
Trying to find my salvation
You are the reason I'll make it through"
One Word Review: Classy
This album was released back in 2011 and somehow, it slipped me by, until now. While doing some research on Brother Firetribe a few months back, I fell upon a old Facebook comment recommending The Magnificent (Thanks Alanna) and decided to check them out.
What a discovery! The Magnificent play melodic rock with bite, power and feeling. The lead singer is Michael Eriksen of Circus Maximus and it is very interesting to hear him singing a completely different genre here (as opposed to Progressive metal). Guitarist Torsti Spoof (Leverage) has a sharp, hard rock sound, which often slices through the sugar and adds that bite, I mentioned. To boil it down quickly, this just works.
There are links to Brother Firetribe here, with Pekka and Tomppa involved in the songwriting, and a fantastic version of Tired Of Dreaming appears near the end of the album, but compared directly to that band, The Magnificent leans much closer to hard rock and the link is more evident in spirit than music.
Touching upon a few highlights, Cheated By Love is pure melodic bliss and I love the way the songs flows in and out of one stellar moment after the other. There is an innocence to the purity of Eriksen's voice, which works perfectly with the lyrics. Again, during Memories, his vocals lift the song, really nailing it as the song peaks at around 3:50.
Angel starts out as a soulful ballad and then suddenly, in a whirlwind of rising emotions, the song soars into the most amazing chorus. Another highlight is the absolutely wonderful bridge section at 3:30, and moments like these are scattered all over the album. There is never a dull moment. The songs are easy to get into, yet complex enough to stay fresh and marry elements from several genres into a solid ball of rock.
A bit of sleaze (Satin & Lace), a bit of realism (Bullets), a bit of progressiveness (Holding On To Your Love), a deep sense of yearning (Tired Of Dreaming) and a whole lotta love. The album pulls out all the stops and delivers on all of them.
And there you have it, The Magnificent feels like a timeless album in every respect and I would venture as far as calling it an instant classic.
Adding to that feeling is album closer, Harvest Moon. With a tingling holiday spirit and a fantastic sense of closure, this is one of those songs that lingers on for a long time.
I'm not sure how this passed me by, but better late than never, I say. The Magnificent is a glorious album, and here at the end of 2017, it takes the honor as my discovery of the year.
What a debut! (But where's the follow-up?)
Written By Steen
Online: Friday, December 29, 2017
Video Section
Cheated By Love
Angel
Tired Of Dreaming
Harvest Moon