Progressive Rock Reviews

Traveller
MAGUS





Line-up:
Andrew Robinson: voices, guitars, basses, bass pedals, keyboards, percussion
Debbie Moore: Keyboards, backing voice
Bryce Chicoine: drums

Tracklist:
1. You Know the Way
2. Blue Sky, Deep Lake
3. Traveller
4. Khyber Pass
5. Nostradamus
6. Into the Unknown
7. Until the Sun Burns Out
8. 108 Steps to Babaji
9. Riff

A really exciting band lead by multi-instrumentalist Andrew Robinson, who also have produced, composed and arranged the whole album, except "Into the Unknown" which is co-written with Debbie Moore. The best tracks are "Traveller", "Nostradamus" and "Until the Sun Burns Out".

This is high quality electronic symphonic rock with reminiscences to Cross, Elegant Simplicity and Porcupine Tree. If you like the aforementioned bands I suggest that you get hold of a copy of this one.

The CD is available from Sky Pines Music, 180 Mountain Home Park, Brattleboro, Vermont USA, 05301.
Email: atmospheric@hotmail.com

-Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-

 

Highway
MAGUS





Composed, arranged, produced, and performed by Andrew Robinson.

Tracklist:
1. Highway 375
2. Arrakis-Dune-Desert Planet (part 1) Dune
3. Arrakis-Dune-Desert Planet (part 2) Messiah
4. Highway 375 (revisited)

Aliens, spaceships and science fiction inspire Magus third release. Andrew Robinson's band is searching their way down Highway 375 in USA. A road that is known for it's many UFO observations. Two of the tracks on this 4-track CDEP are named after this road, and the CD cover illustration is also called "Alien Highway".

The other two tracks are named after Frank Herbert's epic science fiction books about the desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune. Part 1 of the track is called Dune, while the other Part is called Messiah. I guess they are referring to the main character in the books, Paul Atreides.

The music is pretty much the same as on their previous CD "Traveller", with the exception that this one is all instrumental Electronic Progressive Rock. Magus is very reminiscent to Elegant Simplicity in many ways. Magus as well as Elegant Simplicity is very much a one-man band with one man responsible for the main part of the compositions, arrangements, production and performances. In Elegant Simplicity there's Steven McCabe, and in Magus there's Andrew Robinson. Another similarity is the guitar soundscapes the both of bands have. There's also reminiscences to Cross and Porcupine Tree.

A good buy for those of you who are into the aforementioned bands and electronic progressive rock.

The CD is available from Sky Pines Music, 180 Mountain Home Park, Brattleboro, Vermont USA, 05301.
Email: atmospheric@hotmail.com

-Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-