Heavier than a heavy thing on a heavy train to heavy town. This album is supreme heaviness wrapped in a blanket of awesome. This is the sixth album from the French tech metallers. They appeared roundabout the same time the djent offshoot was taking root and they were lumped in with those bands, but there is way more going on here.
The first track, The Shooting Star, is quite a left turn for the band as its very Sabbath sounding both in vibe and feel, and with a clean vocal. Second track, Silvera, starts off in familiar territory – with supreme heaviness before the melody interjects to add clout to proceedings. The Cell proceeds to melt your face off with some epic double kicks and monster heaviness, before down-tuned grooviness ensues. Stranded starts with big chugga’s and swell pedal weirdness and is the heaviest track yet. Side closer, Yellow Stone, is just a small bass instrumental to fade out.
Over the flip we go and the title track, Magma, bursts forth and is a mixture of fat heaviness and psychedelic vocals and vibes. Pray follows with some epic thunderous beats with rhythmic chugga’s, and monk like chanting before supreme heaviness takes over. Only Pain proceeds to pound my brain into submission with epic drumming from Mario Duplantier. Low Lands starts with some fantastic off-groove drumming, before the almost Pink Floyd-esque vocals start – a great mix of heavy and hippy. Last track, Liberation, is another weird instrumental piece.
If they had put the two small side closing pieces together, and added another song, this would have been a 10 album. A great album by a great band. In the somewhat tired genre of metal, they are a shining light.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
