MAJESTIC: Epsilon 2 (PROGRESSIVE METAL,Progressive Rock): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Barely six months after the release of the first part of his cosmic concept (see the chronicle of Epsilon I on this subject), Jeff Hamel and Majestic deliver us the continuation and the end of the adventure, in a new formation reduced to two instrumentalists accompanied by three singers.

After a soft introduction, Majestic clearly indicates the direction of this new opus: it will be heavy with a big sound and a generalized metallic atmosphere, carried by furious guitars and vocal parts: on the female side, Jessica Rasche gets closer to the famous "female vocal metal bands", while her male counterparts raise the tone and regularly flirt with the techniques in vogue in this style.

Amateur of more appeased progressive rock, don't flee however in front of this first approach, because Jeff Hamel is above all a master in the art of mixing genres, and if the powerful passages are well present throughout the 12 tracks of the album, they are far from being alone and are in any case fully integrated into the compositions which turn out to be anything but linear. This is particularly true of the incredible instrumental 'Epsilon VIII - The Journey Back' which offers us at the same time the symphonic progressive very characteristic of the previous works of Majestic, completed by a powerful finale, and including in its middle a part completely Rio - a disarticulated guitar play planted on a chromatic rise to the keyboards, the whole on a background of magma style rhythmics (hats off to Mike Kosacek for his mastery of the offbeat!) - the whole proving to be totally bluffing.

In the same style, the metal/sympho/Rio mix is found on the epic track 'Epsilon X - Convergence', where for nearly 12 minutes Majestic develops its full range of sounds, both vocal and instrumental, with metallic passages which, without ever crossing the line that could scare away the refractory to the style, give a delightful color and power to a composition already exciting by its structure. And to perfect the whole, and still sticking somewhat to the concept, the master builder of the project completes all this with a set of keyboards that shamelessly switches from 70's sounds to the one usually used in space-prog, bringing in particular in the choruses a sonorous touch reminiscent of Eloy. As for the production, it is as impressive as ever, accurately rendering the power developed by the instrumentalists, and integrating among other things welcome stereo effects that balance the sound from right to left.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the second installment of Epsilon continues the journey begun with Opus I of the concept, and proves to be just as indispensable as its companion in the discotheques of fans of varied progressive rock. In spite of a more advanced metallic tendency, this second part proves to be more subtle than the first one, and closes in beauty the journey within the Eridanus galaxy. - Official website

MAJESTIC

EPSILON 2

AUTOPRODUCTION

PROGRESSIVE METAL