Band:	Magica
Album:	Lightseeker
Style:	Symphonic power metal
Release date:	2004
A review by:	Jeff

01. The Circle
02. Bind You Forever
03. Bittersweet Nightshade
04. Dance Of The Wasp
05. A New Paradise
06. Samhain
07. Witch's Broom
08. The Living Grimoire
09. Black Lace
10. Curse For Eternity
11. Wormwood
12. Inluminata

Haaa Magica, the come back, maybe that you remember their first release which was something more than? approximate? The question today is to know if the band tried to change some things in its music and above all, tried to progress. The answer is yes, they did it!!! I don't say that this new album is perfect but damn in comparison of their first one, that's a really good surprise. Maybe that magical spells are real after all?

The comparison between "Ligthseeker" the new album and "The Scroll Of Stone" the first one is like a comparison between the day and the night. If the first album was just a pure bad copy of bands like Nightwish, this time that's really easy to feel that the band tried to do an album with some more personality. Of course that's not perfect, it could be a bit more personal I'm sure, but I feel a lot more of personality this time, and damn believe me that's good. The first example is the voice of the singer Ana who is definitely better this time, there is a lot of progress really and that's good to see too that like her, the other musicians did some real efforts.

That's same with the music, that's always power metal, and if I can regret the depart of the few folks elements of the first album, I must admit that those little progressive touches that the guitars and the keyboards add, are nice. The songs are less basic, more structured and it will pay for them I'm sure of it.

The production is however a recurring problem with this band,. Even if it's a lot more professional, the sound is not good one more time and this kind of details can only kill you when the time to be compared with the champions of the styles will come. However here again, there is work and I must congratulate the band for such a big efforts. Ok, that's not a revolution, there are always some little problems, like the fact that this musical style is really common these days but for sure the music of the band is really better.

I was more than scary by the first album, but honestly I think that with some better means and if they follow this way [the progressives parts with the keyboards are really good and original for example] this band could do something. That's not easy to beat the mastodons that are Nightwish or Edenbridge but when we try to do something serious and when we try to put our personal touches in its music, it pays every time. Please follow this way guys it's coming?