Six Magics - Behind The Sorrow
Chile's Six Magics are an interesting lot, especially due to their line up. Formed in 1996 the band has been hammering out tunes in the power metal vein and have released up to four full length albums. However, their latest album, Behind The Sorrow, here in 2010 appears to be a re-recording of the 2008 release, Animal. Almost all the tracks have the same titles, just a different arrangement. Why the band decided to do this is unbeknownst to most fans, but perhaps it has something to do with the departure of some of the vocalists. There originally used to be two vocalists in the bands, one female and one male. Up to this point the male vocalist departed from the band and left all the vocal duties to his female counterpart, which she handles with ease and grace while maintaining the ability to belt out emotional notes while reaching higher pitches. For once power metal fans can say that the vocalist who sounds like a woman is actually a woman!
Behind The Sorrow comes off more as a symphonic metal album due to the bombastic song structures. There isn't really the expansive keyboard or fifty million melodic solo riffs that a lot of power metal bands come up with. There's synth on the album, yes, but it is more classical and orchestral than progressive. "Run" is a strong opener in how the riffs are power metal, but then there's a very long conspiracy sample about the U.S. during 9/11 and the World Trade Center towers. It is an odd move for the band because this kind of effect doesn't show up on any of the other tracks; no spoken word samples at all. Instead, the rest of the album holds plenty of lush orchestrations and long, winding chords that sound more like they belond on a Theater of Tragedy album. Some tracks are heavier than others, such as "Lies and Rules," which is strongly guitar influenced in the way it chugs along with the soaring vocals, which sound very sexy. Then there's tracks like "They," that are slower, sounding more like a funeral lament than the upbeat power metal tunes most might be used to hearing. It isn't a bad track at all, just different.
Those who enjoy the likes of the musical style Epica, Trail of Tears, After Forever, Sarah Jezebel Deva, and even Blondie, will find this female fronted metal band another milestone in making women even more part of the metal world. There isn't anything monotnous about the album and the vocalist has a decent range; not too low or too high. The symphonic orchestrations are exciting enough, and although there are no typical death growls or harsh vocals to round out the gothic elements, there's plenty of reason to don on some black while listening to this good album. Let's just hope the band doesn't re-record the same album a third time.
Behind The Sorrow comes off more as a symphonic metal album due to the bombastic song structures. There isn't really the expansive keyboard or fifty million melodic solo riffs that a lot of power metal bands come up with. There's synth on the album, yes, but it is more classical and orchestral than progressive. "Run" is a strong opener in how the riffs are power metal, but then there's a very long conspiracy sample about the U.S. during 9/11 and the World Trade Center towers. It is an odd move for the band because this kind of effect doesn't show up on any of the other tracks; no spoken word samples at all. Instead, the rest of the album holds plenty of lush orchestrations and long, winding chords that sound more like they belond on a Theater of Tragedy album. Some tracks are heavier than others, such as "Lies and Rules," which is strongly guitar influenced in the way it chugs along with the soaring vocals, which sound very sexy. Then there's tracks like "They," that are slower, sounding more like a funeral lament than the upbeat power metal tunes most might be used to hearing. It isn't a bad track at all, just different.
Those who enjoy the likes of the musical style Epica, Trail of Tears, After Forever, Sarah Jezebel Deva, and even Blondie, will find this female fronted metal band another milestone in making women even more part of the metal world. There isn't anything monotnous about the album and the vocalist has a decent range; not too low or too high. The symphonic orchestrations are exciting enough, and although there are no typical death growls or harsh vocals to round out the gothic elements, there's plenty of reason to don on some black while listening to this good album. Let's just hope the band doesn't re-record the same album a third time.
- Run
- Animal
- Behind The Sorrow
- Lies And Rules
- Hands Of Time
- All My Dreams
- They
- No Time To Grieve
- It's Not The Way
- I Remember
Coroner Records
Reviewer: Colin McNamara
Apr 20, 2010
Apr 20, 2010
Next review:
Eryn Non Dae. - Hydra Lernaia
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