Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi - review
Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi - review
Tracklist
01. Blood Guru02. Demon For A Day
03. Satan Is Time
04. Satyriko Orgio (Satyrs' Orgy)
05. The Mermaid
06. Hunters
07. Oi Magoi
A review by
Auntie Sahar January 07, 2014
Oi Magoi is, one the whole, a great follow up to Hail Spirit Noir's debut, retaining many of the qualities of Pneuma while also testing some new ingredients. Everything from the debut that won listeners over is more or less retained: the distinct xylophone/keyboard usage ("The Mermaid," "Blood Guru"), catchy chorus lines ("Demon For A Day"), beautiful clean vocals ("Satan Is Time," "The Mermaid"), as well as some harsher black metal moments ("Blood Guru," "Satyriko Orgio").
Unlike Pneuma, however, Oi Magoi embraces Hail Spirit Noir's progressive personality a lot more, and seems to be far more oriented towards improvisation and periods of extended instrumentation. In a sense this makes the music feel more sophisticated, or "complete" in a sense, as though some of the songwriting features from the band's debut have now matured. On the other hand, it also gives the music a more serious vibe that lacks some of the more lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek playfullness of the debut. Whether or not fans like this shift will, as usual, be a matter of personal preference, but it's likely most on display on "The Mermaid," essentially an 11 minute jam session, which in many ways takes the band's proggy persona to even greater heights than the climactic "Into The Gates Of Time" from Pneuma.
Is Oi Magoi a better release than Pneuma? It's quite difficult to say, as at many points it doesn't really seem better or worse, necessarily, simply different. And although this reviewer does prefer the goofiness of Hail Spirit Noir's debut to some of the more serious technicalities of this follow up, I can't deny that with Oi Magoi, they still manage to nail that peculiar blend of the trippy and the creepy that made the debut so damn good. Here that blend simply seems a bit more... restrained, perhaps, or rather as though it's shifted the way in which it's delivered slightly. But I'll be damned if that doesn't mean Hail Spirit Noir can't still bring home the goods and craft a complex, thoroughly stimulating release, for Oi Magoi is certainly that.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 8 |
| Songwriting: | 8 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Auntie Sahar | January 07, 2014
Comments page 2 / 2
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Posts: 3104 Written by [user id=28338] on 09.01.2014 at 23:00 Thanks for clearing that up. 
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Posts: 1703
^concurrencies I feel like a stereotyped Hasidic saying the album name  and It's funny how nobody has voted on this yet.The first listen was a little rough but it becomes itself in time. I wouldn't call it 9.2 but I'd say maybe around 8.8 overall with moments of 9.2  Apothecary did a good job on the review too.
---- Coldgrits
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 Posts: 5989 |
Posts: 5989 Written by -DC-002- on 13.01.2014 at 02:22 The album officially comes out on the 20th. Voting on here can't begin until albums are actually released
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 1703 Written by Auntie Sahar on 13.01.2014 at 04:37 dah-ha-ha. my bad. yup i can't wait for it to come out.....
---- Coldgrits
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Posts: 79  |
Posts: 79 Written by [user id=28338] on 09.01.2014 at 23:00 It's Greek (not Greeklish) and yes it means THE WIZARDS. If you here words that you don't understand it's Greek between English lyrics.
---- Lost In The Battlefield Of Opposite Extremes...
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Posts: 184 |
Posts: 184
I dig this album. This goes without saying, but It's my favorite this year so far
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Posts: 424  |
Posts: 424
It's always good to have, "Satan is time. Satan is time. Satan. Satan." blasting at work, and coworkers give you a weird look. "What is that supposed to be?" lol.
---- ? Carrion Misery [url]www.mournspire.com[/url] | Two-Man Death Doom Project Full album streaming
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Posts: 5989 Written by Carrion Misery on 16.01.2014 at 17:38 Let me know if you manage to convert anyone with that 
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 677  |
Posts: 677
Man, this album is classy as fuck. Almost makes me want to take up the megalisting business again. A delight 
---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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Posts: 84  |
Posts: 84
Holy shit I am loving this, never heard of them, saw this review and gave it a spin and now it is playing nearly constantly it is just a wonderful album and i seriously do not want to stop listening. I have missed lectures because i could not stop listening to this and had no idea of where the time went.
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Posts: 213  |
Posts: 213
I love this album, though I have to admit PNEUMA hooked me up a lot faster and strogner. 
---- World won't end today - it's already tomorrow in Australia.
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Posts: 21306 Written by tea[m]ster on 07.03.2014 at 02:37 It's a lot more exotic than what you normally listen to but I think it's accessible and structured enough that you'll at least consider it "good". I suspect you'd probably end up giving this a 7 or 8.
---- "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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| mz
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Posts: 133  |
Posts: 133
I just added Hail Spirit Noire to my band favorites after listening to Oi Magoi for the last week straight. I rated it a 9 but the more I listen it the more I'm leaning toward 10.
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