Magic Opera is the solo symphonic power metal project of Derdian keyboard player Marco Garau – the band completed by vocalist Anton Darusso (Wings Of Destiny), guitarists Enrico Pistolese (Derdian) and Luca Sellitto (Stamina), drummer Salvatore Giordano (Derdian) and bass player Ollie Bernstein (Illusion Force).
The debut album by Magic Opera ‘The Golden Pentacle’, was released in 2021 and was a concept album based on an original story/fantasy saga written by Marco set in Amtork. The band’s second album, ‘Battle Of Ice’ is based on the second chapter of the Amtork saga – and is a monolithic sixty-four minutes in length! And just like its predecessor, the new album is a majestic swagger of symphonic power metal, highly dramatic, overly operatic, and fuelled by a jaw-dropping edge of your seat tension-filled atmosphere. So grab your supplies of popcorn, sweets and Prosecco, sit back, and enjoy “act two” from Marco Garau’s Magic Opera – raising the curtain with the opener ‘The Black Sorcery’. And a wonderful one-minute mellow warm up before bish bash bosh, and we’re off and running at full tilt – the band roaring like an open fire…and just as hot! ‘The Black Sorcery’ is an electrifying head-turner and an amazing start to the new album – but then, after hearing the band’s first album, I really didn’t expect anything less!
Blistering speed melded with symphonic power metal heralds ‘The Cursed Crown’ – an incredible romp of opera-influenced metal. The sheer majesty of ‘The Cursed Crown’ is phenomenal, and for the band to keep their foot pressed firmly on the pedal is astounding. And the mid-song breakdown, too, wow – and where the fuck have those harsh vocals come from?
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I remember a splattering of guttural howls on ‘The Golden Pentacle’, but the impact they’ve just made here is astonishing – a complete contrast to the singer’s clean vocals. And without pausing for a breath, ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the album) roars on with the speedster ‘The Legend Of The Demon’s Cry’ – with a purpose and intent so urgent it defies logic! But we’re not in the land of logic. We’re in a land of fantasy, where anything can happen – and it usually does! ‘The Legend Of The Demon’s Cry’ is a mind-blowing march of symphonic power metal mastery.
I’m telling ya – “act two” is a must-listen. And if you haven’t listened to the band’s first act (‘The Golden Pentacle’), that’s a must too! For Marco, Garau has created something special – twice! The intensity has been top-notch since the album began and showed no sign of slipping as ‘Assault On The Castle’ moves the album forward at a more mid-tempo pace – but impressive. The bolder, more head held high stride of ‘Assault On The Castle’ is staggering, with the entire audience transfixed by the bombastic barrage unfolding in front of their eyes. ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the album) delivers a barnstorming assault on every sense in the human body, with every nerve tingling with a sensation normally reserved for man’s ultimate carnal pleasure! And featuring the return of scorching pace, ‘Ride Into The Sun’ takes off at high velocity, rocketing skywards like the Space Shuttle on a mission! The band are unrelenting in their approach to delivering fast-paced power metal – not only is it highly head bang-able, but it’s also a gorgeous listening experience.
A listening experience that’s far from over – ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the album) moving on with a much mellower feel than heard up to this point – ‘White Dragon’ oozing all the elements of an anthemic hymn. That is until the minute and a half mark, when all hell breaks loose with an electrifying pace taking over, pushing ‘White Dragon’ forward like an express train on a deadline! Incredible majesty and skill showed by the band, but what else would you expect from a group of seasoned musicians! And with a heaviness not yet heard, ‘The Shadow Man’ stomps into sight, quickly adopting the serenity of a power ballad – and the opportunity for every listener to raise their lighters high in the air. Now regular readers would normally expect me to go off on a tirade about how ballads should only appear on rock albums and not metal ones – but there are exceptions to every rule! This album is a metal opera. Delivering a grandstand performance and including a ballad is just the ticket! Opera combines many styles of music (albeit classical music in most cases), so why not ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the album)? The sheer majesty and mood calls for an elegant and emotionally fuelled moment – and ‘The Shadow Man’ is it.
And with an emphatic return to all-out pace, ‘The Book Of Evil’ is a searing rampage of classic sounding European power metal, which takes on a sassy symphonic edge as it drops a gear and marches on at a pace akin to the “foot on the monitor” feel of traditional heavy metal. At its core, ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the album) is a symphonic power metal album that occasionally reaches out to other genres of metal (and rock) for inspiration. And that’s no bad thing, for the mix has created a spectacular show – the album is a massive hit with me, as I’m sure it will be for you and the thousands upon thousands of listeners worldwide! And chiming in with the heaviness of a wrecking ball in full flight, ‘Under Siege’ is the heaviest song on offer, displaying an all-out “heavy metal” attitude – yet losing none of the incredibly elegant and majestic feels of symphonic metal. And with just one song remaining, I reckon ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the album) will be one of the strongest contenders for the Album Of The Year title.
The album’s final hurrah is the eleven-minute spectacle ‘Battle Of Ice’ – the title song featuring every style of metal music the band have in their arsenal. From the grandiose and anticipation fuelled first minute, to the crescendo-building incline, through blistering speed and the return of harsh vocals, ‘Battle Of Ice’ (the song) is a superb show-stopping finale. I can’t praise the band enough, especially Marco Garau’s vision and songwriting skills. This album has exceeded the performance of ‘The Golden Pentacle’ by the proverbial country mile – Magic Opera delivering “act one” and “act two” to standing ovations. And I, for one, cannot wait for “act three”.
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Overall, an incredible performance of superbly crafted symphonic power metal, ‘Battle Of Ice’, is an infectious and intoxicating listening pleasure.
TRACKLIST
The Black Sorcery
The Cursed Crown
The Legend Of The Demon’s Cry
Assault On The Castle
Ride Into The Sun
White Dragon
The Shadow Man
The Book Of Evil
Under Siege
Battle Of Ice
Magic Opera: Facebook
Release Year: 2023
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire and Metal-Roos.
