Title: Attahk
Artiste: Magma
Genre: Various
Familiarity: Zero
Recommended by: Frownland
Expectations: There's always an element of suspicion and even dread in a rec from Frownland, though over the years he has managed to provide a few albums I've ended up liking. His strike rate though is pretty poor. This one sounds just as weird, with, as I read, a totally made-up language to boot. However there are, or were, elements of progressive rock apparently in Magma originally, so all may not be lost. It's also not a week long, so there's hope there. Still, can't help but feel a shiver run down my spine...
And again, not on Spotify. Sigh. If it wasn't for YouTube I would be unable to review a large percentage of the albums I'm being recced. It's almost like Spotify are providing a worse, rather than better service as the years roll on.
1. The last seven minutes (1970-1971, Part 1): First impressions: it's like listening to jazz. This is not good. Vocals getting going now, not too bad. Vocals are a bit mad, but overall I can't say I hate it, though I don't love it. I'll give this a cautious Orange (that's an edgy peice of fruit waiting to cross busy traffic, in case you wondered).
2. Spiritual song (Negro song): This is better. Sing it, brothers and sisters! Very funky.
3. Rinde (Eastern song): This is very good too. Love the piano. The singing is very impressive. Melody sounds vaguely familiar?
4. Liriïk Necronomicus Kahnt (in which our heroes Ürgon & Ğorğo Meet) : Yeah, I can kind of get into this. It's a little chaotic, but it's definitely got rhythm.
5. Maahnt (The wizard's fight versus the devil): OK, did not like that one little bit.
6. Dondaï (To an Eternal Love) : This definitely has something though. Started out kind of as a ballad and has now turned into a kind of semi-soul/funk groove with added chants. Nice.
7. Nono (1978, Phase II): Definitely not crazy about this. It's all right but that's about it. Very repetitive.
End result: Meh, not as bad as I had expected, but unlikely to be anything I would listen to again. For a Frownland rec it was pleasingly tame, so there is that.
So, Love or Hate? It's Christmas so I'll be generous and give it a
Love.