Magic Kingdom - Savage Requiem

Magic Kingdom

Savage Requiem

by Charlotte "Lotty" Whittingham at 16 March 2015, 2:18 PM

Don’t let a name like MAGIC KINGDOM fool you; I understand it may suggest sweet things like Disney theme parks but the Belgian Power/Symphonic Metal quartet are far from it. They are ballsy and they mean business; this is certainly what their fourth studio album “Savage Requiem” shows us.

This is my first time listening to MAGIC KINGDOM and I have got to say their sound is incredible; if we place DRAGONFORCE-esque guitar riffs and solos and SONATA ARCTICA’s Tony Kakko’s vocals into a pot then MAGIC KINGDOM would be the final outcome. I for one am not complaining as I like both bands.

From what I understand this is the first album with new vocalist Christian Palin on the frontline; guitarist and band’s mastermind Dushan Petrossi states
“He gives 100% and doesn’t hold back, I feel the new songs needed someone like Christian to bring them to life.” After listening to this album for about the third or fourth time in the space of two days I can concur this is correct as I do feel one of the many things that stood out on the album was the outstanding vocal work.

This album in my opinion is a treasure chest filled with all the wonders and magic of what Power/Symphonic Metal has to offer; sweeping melodies that make you want to swish your hair around in windmills, memorable guitar riffs that you will be practicing air guitar to many years later and powerful vocals that encourage miming along and air grabbing with your bare hands. Tracks that demonstrate this statement to a tee for me are “Guardian Angels”, “Ship Of Ghosts” and “Dragon Princess”.

So from all this praise about their fourth studio installment I am hoping you gathered I highly enjoyed this Power/Symphonic Metal treat.

On a side note, see if you can hear guitarist Dushan Petrossi crank out Classical number “Ode To Joy” by the one and only LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN in one of the tracks. I won’t tell you which one, that’s for you to find out from 20^th March onwards as that’s when the album is due for release in Europe.