Magnesia have broken up.
This is a bit of a shame, because on the strength of this
3-track demo they sound like they were well on their way
to becoming a bit
special.
The quick and easy reference point is Six By Seven. The loaded snare rolls, throbbing
bass and music-box guitars all ache with the same glazed and confused frustration
that stands as 6x7's sulky trademark.
There is enough deviation from this to suggest Magnesia were more than a tribute
to Nottingham's finest, however, as the stomping agitation, Jesus and Mary Chain
swagger, and flashes of dirty synth displayed on opener "Kick Against The
Pricks" indicate.
The guitars throughout these three tracks are absolutely beautiful, in the same
way that Interpol's guitars are, or Mogwai's. They flutter and flourish with
a grace and strength as perfectly deployed as either of those, though without
the serrated edge of the former, and less laboriously studied than the latter
can occasionally feel.
The third and final track "It's Not Too Late", is an ironically appropriate
epitaph (just as the demo title rings truer than perhaps intended). For this
review, and anything else fortune may have had up its sleeve for Magnesia, is
of course too late.
Nevertheless, the members will undoubtedly find new projects, as musicians always
do. Magnesia may be nothing more than the first step of a musical journey, but
clearly all four members are heading in the right direction. We wish them well.
d |
|
