Nick Magus

With a history that includes Steve Hackett and The Enid you are hardly likely to produce a Punk/Rap exposition but the breadth and scale of this album from Nick Magus is actually breathtaking.

Of course it fits into the general heading of Prog but musically this is rich as classical and as modern as an Xbox.
Synth and string laden is not exactly new but there is a certain something about the songs and the playing that approaches the best of modern Prog and with guests like Steve Hackett, Tony Patterson, Rob Townshend and Andy Neve involved his vision is realised with some aplomb.

From the opening ‘Time’ with its Yes like power and reach you get the feeling of a musician who wants to awe you but who can temper the power enough to allow the words to tell their tale “All Time Creates, Time Will Devour”.
‘Kombat Kid’ sounds as though it is celebrating a victory but soon degenerates into the tale of the dangers of giving impressionable minds over to the machine while ‘Eminent Victorians’ avoids the pitfalls of approaching a steampunk world of extremes and actually celebrates the men who gave us the modern world.

Characters in every track and every track full of character, superb playing and the feel of a very modern, yet timeless, Prog album.

In this world of bland Indie, Americana/Roots throwbacks and sex obsessed R&B it is good to hear that there are still musicians making their own statements and giving something that makes you think.
Even better that it should sound this good.