Original Link

Translated via Google:

Let us dwell for a moment if Majestic, great discovery of yours truly (bug). Majestic is the project of Jeff Hamel, now under the auspices of guitarist Joey Mazzola, based in Detroit as a student of his, and quickly integrated into the local music scene (including the group Osmium). Back home (Minneapolis), now multi-instrumentalist, Jeff records and plays on MySpace (“Slychosis”, “String Theory”). This does not fall into deaf ears. Quickly contacted by the music business, it is also (thankfully) by singer Jessica Rasche and drummer Chris Nathe with Jeff that will produce the first album of what is now Majestic.

We are in 2011, the project has already suggested things like “Arrival” and “Ataraxia,” Prog’s ambitious enough and soaring instrumental that has found its audience and pushes the group to be delivered today (free on its website !) “Labyrinth.” The cover is typically Prog, but if the project was launched with a view Dream Theater, it is actually much more personal. By his own admission, Jeff has created Majestic after completing his musical culture based in the Dream Theater Prog 70s. And it shows. ”Labyrinth” features three tracks including the title track for half an hour of completed “Mosaic” and “Phoenix Rising”, a quarter of an hour each. This format “Klaus Schulze” is not unusual for the group, and allows it to sweep up the potential of the musical spectrum. Indeed, the three tracks follow without resembling. I will focus first on the first play, by far the most successful. What’s with great Jeff is his ability to knit securities but a natural extension disconcerting. The parts are stacked without repetition, but always with a great fluidity is due to the arrangements. Thus, it is never swung abruptly to Heavy Prog or vice versa: the two are constantly present, is simply yielding place respectively. Jessica’s voice is usually mixed well back, making it possible not to break the momentum mainly instrumental. His few passages in the foreground are all the more striking.Similarly, no way to crush you under the ears sometimes powerful rhythm guitars, all of this is relegated to the background, to comply with a thread too sensitive to the bully. The design is great and the result is just as important.

Stylistically, though the plot remains Heavy Prog and feels, 70s or other influences make all the difference. On the occasion of hovering a few passages, we find ourselves on the ground floor in the Synth Tangerine Dream or Vangelis, at other times in the 70s Oldfield, ELP, or when silver is more melodic. Then return to the Heavy but more than that of Ayreon Dream Theater … A true navigation, without ever breaking. This fluidity makes the success of the play that I do not hesitate to compare (from this point of view only!) To “Echoes”, the first composition of this size and complexity to hold its own. The other two will come to qualify the table. First “Mosaic” which plunges the ground floor in a modern suspicion of “Labyrinth.” The latter merely suggestive passages sometimes hypnotism Björk sometimes the linearity of Archive, “Mosaic” is built entirely on a more dynamic as Trip Hop Prog. However, the piece is the least successful, because it breaks his bias is dynamic and not a mass of disparate topics without own pace (which kills or Archive Björk also, I think). Rather, it “Phoenix Rising” that will hold my attention, via yet a third way: more guitars, more traditional Heavy, but also more melody and linearity. We go out sometimes more frankly the original style but colors not reached the other two titles, in return. Much more instrumental, he built the architecture around repeated motifs instrumental and highly developed, which distinguishes it from the title track which it resembles in other respects, especially the 70′s digressions that make the personality of Majestic.

This personality is the wealth of the group and its particularity in the middle of the stage Prog, which has yet extremely well received, which gives me great pleasure. Not just because I loved “Labyrinth,” but because it proves that, despite the criticism, the Prog is such ill-defined that makes its appeal. There is room for groups at odds with Dream Theater and all the better. Majestic is not there, but represents the current of fresh air can reduce this sensitivity ambient air lacking in other courses, this deference to the past and their curiosity to extend over instrumental tracks such those dotting “Labyrinth” with no shredder, but “intellectual” work, not play with the rhythms or patterns, just for the sake of sound and atmosphere. In short, humility in the genre. It feels good.

The site: www.majesticsongs.com

the_outcast

Like many studio-only projects, Majestic are quite prolific, having released three albums in as many years since Rasche and her husband, drummer Chris Nathe, got on board. While I had not been particularly impressed by Descension, 2009′s Arrival and especially last year’s Ataraxia showed a lot of potential, with much tighter compositional standards and Rasche’s pure yet commanding vocal tones exponentially increasing the music’s interest value. Both of those albums, however, seemed to follow the modern trend for running times well in excess of 60 minutes, which obviously put the attention span of the average listener to the test. Labyrinth, Majestic’s fourth album, released as a free download in the early summer of 2011, pursues an equally ambitious route, though cutting the running time down to slightly over an hour – almost 20 minutes shorter than its predecessors.

While Ataraxia featured 11 tracks, Labyrinth only comprises three songs, none of them under 15 minutes, and – in a very brave move – opens with the eponymous, 30-minute super-epic. On a personal level, I am not a huge advocate of tracks that are almost as long as the average vinyl record, because, in my decades-long experience as a listener, I have realized they are quite difficult to get right, and can very easily turn into a sprawling mess. I also believe that placing such a tour de force at the opening of the album is often counterproductive, as a top-heavy album almost inevitably produces a sense of weariness in the listener well before things are over. On the other hand, while Labyrinth (the track) suffers from the shortcomings shared by the majority of super-epics – chiefly a palpable lack of cohesion, with too many changes in tempo and mood, and a whole lot of diverse influences thrown into the mix – it does also offer quite a few moments of interest.

Though Majestic have occasionally been labelled as neo-prog, their quintessentially eclectic approach combines the influence of vintage prog acts such as Genesis and Pink Floyd with the more modern approach embodied by the likes of Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree. The really distinctive element in their music, however, resides in Jessica Rasche’s beautiful voice – even though on Labyrinth the emphasis is more firmly placed on the instrumental aspect of things, particularly on the interplay of keyboards and guitar, both handled by Hamel. While the drums (this time provided by John Wooten) sound occasionally a bit tinny, the lush keyboard layers add a sense of melody and solemnity, often creating entrancing atmospheres in contrast with the metallic harshness of the guitar riffs.

As previously hinted, the title-track introduces the album by pulling out all the stops, with slow yet incisive riffing out of the Black Sabbath songbook, distorted guitar passages and majestic (pardon the pun) keyboard surges. Rasche’s vocals begin in a low-key mode, then gain assurance, floating over the instrumental din with a graceful yet assertive tone that reminded me of Anneke van Giersbergen (formerly of The Gathering). Some of the heavier symphonic passages hint at Ayreon even more than Dream Theater, while the distinct spacey/psychedelic flavour of other sections, as well as the fluid, echoing tone of Hamel’s soloing, point to a strong Pink Floyd influence. As a whole, the track holds true to its title: meandering and definitely overlong, in spite of the not infrequent glimpses of potential greatness. On the other hand, Mosaic, in spite of its title, is the most cohesive number on the album, and the only one devoid of metal elements. Rasche sounds particularly authoritative, her clear yet full-bodied voice blending very effectively with the gently atmospheric mood, and complemented by the sharp, clear tone of Hamel’s guitar. The use of various sound effects merges with the nostalgic tone of the piano, and the often sparse texture of the song manages to hold the listener’s interest much better than the mind-boggling twists and turns of the title-track. With closer Phoenix Rising, the only completely instrumental track, the metal influences resurface in the shape of harsh riffs and fast and furious drumming, though alternating with rarefied passages and a particularly lovely guitar solo towards the end – almost like Pink Floyd jamming with Dream Theater.

With a striking cover by UK artist Mark Mayers, Labyrinth is an interesting effort, even though the somewhat extravagant title-track tends to overshadow the rest. Rasche’s outstanding vocals, which had been Ataraxia‘s biggest draw, are a bit underused, and the “kitchen-sink” approach adopted in the composition of the title-track can be a bit confusing, especially for first-time listeners. In my view, Majestic are at their best when pursuing the spacey/psychedelic route and keeping the metal influences to a minimum, to avoid sounding like yet another female-fronted symphonic prog metal band. While Jeff Hamel is undoubtedly an excellent instrumentalist, and the band has a lot of potential, they need to get a tighter grip on the compositional aspect and revert to the more balanced approach evidenced on Ataraxia.

Conclusion: 7 out of 10

RAFFAELLA BERRY

Original Article

Many thanks to Artur for featuring the Labyrinth title track in its entirety here on their radio show.

Review on MLWZ

Original Article

Review from Progressive Rock & Progressive Metal E-zine

MAJESTIC - “Ataraxia” 
The North American band Majestic is back to this webzine, this time to present their fourth album, “Ataraxia”. Majestic was founded in 2007 by guitarist Jeff Hamel, who played in various bands around Detroit from late 80’s to early 90’s. Because Hamel loved bands of the 70’s (mainly “Yes”, “Floyd”, “Genesis”, and “King Crimson”), he tried to capture their musical spirit on Majestic’s first album, “String Theory” (2008, Andromeda Records). Even before finishing the debut, Hamel was contacted by Russian Label MALS Ltd., which released Majestic’s album “Descension” (2008). The third album, “Arrival” (2009, MALS), had collaboration of Jessica Rasche (vocals) and Gregg Johns (“Slychosis” member and Hamel‘s partner on the “Proximal Distance Project”); and was featured at this webzine as “Best Release of September-2009”. Majestic’s fourth album, “Ataraxia” (2010, MALS), has collaboration of Jessica, Johns, and also of Jerry Swan (bass) and drummers Chris Nathe and John Wooten. In spite of being inspired by bands of the seventies (“Yes”, “Genesis”, “King Crimson”, “Deep Purple”, and “Camel”), the music of Majestic has a sonority that approaches modern bands like “Porcupine Tree”, “Ayreon”, “The Gathering”, “Arena”, “Star One”, “Magenta”, “Dream Theater”, “Jupiter Society”, “Slychosis”, “White Willow“, “Sylvan”, “Riverside”, and “Nemezis”. Compositions in general have a transmuting attribute, alternating from Neo-Prog and Space-Rock to Heavy-Prog and Prog-Metal, bringing atmospheric moments inserted within the frame. Some songs are long and completely instrumental, having symphonic arrangements made of multiple layers and textures of keyboards (reminiscent of Classic Prog bands like “Camel” and “Genesis”), all combined with long and elaborated guitar solos that sound either soaring and psychedelic, or neo-progressive (like “Floyd”, “Porcupine Tree”, “Ayreon”). The heaviest moments are reminiscent of bands like “Porcupine Tree”, “King Crimson” and “Star One”. Jessica’s vocals have a peculiar intonation that reminds me of “Anneke van Giersbergen” (“The Gathering”, “Agua de Annique”), and “Christina Booth” (“Magenta”). “Ataraxia” has 11 tracks. The softness of the introductory song “Disarray“ (with piano and vocals) strongly contrasts with the heaviness of “Faceless“ – a Prog-Metal piece that initially brings massive attack of guitars supported by gritty keyboards that remind me of early days of “Porcupine Tree”, and later, of “Jupiter Society”. The song slows down near the last third, when vocals finally enter. “Wither“ and “Numb“ are much more atmospheric. “Wither” (9 min) sounds like a crossover of “Porcupine Tree” and “The Gathering” (mainly because of the vocals), and flows slowly over an oriental-sounding background surrounded by Stravinsky-like symphonic arrangements, having an extended instrumental section with guitars and keyboards in “Crimson-Floyd” style. “Numb“ is dreamy, supported by string arrangements, and reminds me of “Agua de Annique”. A high degree of Progressiveness is present on the outstanding instrumental compositions “Astral Dream“ and “Dance of the Elders“. “Astral Dream“ (7min) is arranged like a cosmic Bolero, following a “King Crimson” kind of guitar, and gradually grows from a Space-Rock to a Heavy-Prog (like a blend of “Ayreon” and “Porcupine Tree”). The amazing “Dance of the Elders“ (8 min) is structured on an Electronic-Psychedelic frame supported by pulsing bass and synthesizers that keep a steady pace from the beginning to the end. Intense instrumental interplay is present, including keyboard melodies, soaring “Floydian”-guitars, violins, and sparse heavy guitar riffs in the style of “Porcupine Tree” and “Crimson”, with epic final chorus. But the musical climax of “Ataraxia” is reached on the gigantic tracks “Takes My Breath Away“ (c. 14:00) and “Altered State“ (c. 9:00). The first piece begins slowly, with sad vocals and soft flute-like sounds. The arrangements become more symphonic at the middle. Vocals reappear at the last third of the song, which is dominated by “Floydian” guitars and melodic keyboards like “Genesis” and “Camel”. The second piece inserts Heavy-Prog guitar riffing in a “Floydian” mood, with atmospheric vocals like (again, like “Porcupine Tree” and “The Gathering”). The short songs “Star Bound“ and “Delusion“ combine Techno-Prog coolness with Neo-Prog vibes, and will appeal to fans of recent works of “Porcupine Tree” and “Magenta”. The closing track “Reflections“ sounds rather like a bonus-track, for it does not fit into the concept of the album. It is an acoustic Prog-ballad featuring both male and female vocals. With this excellent “Ataraxia”, Majestic gives another step towards the solidification of their sonority and own style, something that might be farther developed on their newest release of 2011 (“Labyrinth”) that I hope to listen to soon. Majestic is highly recommended for fans of Heavy-Prog, Hard Neo-Prog and Prog-Metal that like non-operatic female vocals.  Band members and collaborators involved inMajestic are: Jeff Hamel – Guitars, Keyboards, Bass, Vocals; Jessica Rasche – Lead Vocals; Chris Nathe – Drums. Special guests: Jerry Swan – Bass (“Numb”); John Wooten - Drums (“Astral Dream”, “Dance of the Elders”); Gregg Johns – Guitars, Talkbox (“Altered State”); Jeremy Hamel – Acoustic Guitar (“Reflexions”)…   (Comments by Marcelo Trotta) 

Original Article

Review from Progarchives

 Very interesting EP!

Majestic is the brainchild of US musician Jeff Hamel, who is actually a multi-instrmentalist and the one who composes and performs all the instruments in his albums. In 2009 he released an interesting 4-track EP entitled “Clover Suite” in which Jessica Rasche helps with her great vocals. This EP is shows a great mixture of symphonic and heavy prog.

The four tracks are entitled Clover, the only thing that changes is the number that follows the word, and it is simple, I, II, III and IV. The first one starts slowly, with vocals since the first moments, but little by little it is adding new atmospheres, different inner passages that take the listener to a fantastic place, where one can imagine things and stories. I like a lot the keyboard sound in the whole track, its excellent nuances and how it perfectly complements the voice, and the heavier guitars, when they are needed. The last two minutes are very mellow, excellent I would say.

The second part is the longest one reaching almost ten minutes. Keyboards working as fore and background at the same time, with a pretty cool acoustic guitar addition. The sound does remind me to some Neo Prog acts, that is why this project is labeled (at least here) as such. Hamel really knows how to structure a song, how to intercalate the instrumental moments with the ones with vocals, and how and when to make sudden changes in time and tempo, and mood. I have actually been surprised by this new discover. And what better way to listen to this, than going to their website and download it for free. In this sole track, we can really appreciate the musician’s wonderful skills in guitars, keyboards and even drums.

In the third part we have some spacey keyboards that remind me of some Ayreon moments. I like here how drums join, and how the keyboard sound is getting more and more intense, creating a kind of nervousness or tension. But this all disappears after a couple of minutes, and suddenly morphs into a neo-prog track, especially when female vocals appear. Well, but as you can imagine this is only a passage, because the song will offer one or two changes more, the most evident after five minutes with a metal-like guitar. Great!

And the final part is the shorter one, with only five minutes length. This is the softest of them all, this time with male voice, which I assume is the same Jeff. The sound is charming, even relaxing and suitable for an end. With this, the Clover Suite EP finishes. I am really happy with this discovery, and I highly recommend going and downloading it, and get more Majestic stuff. My final grade will be four stars.

Enjoy it!

Review by memowakeman
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Italian Prog Specialist

LABYRINTH

Majestic

Neo-Prog

Original Article

 Available as a free download (see the relevant thread on the forum), this 2011 release from American multi instrumentalist Jeff Hamel with vocalist Jessica Rasche definitely deserves a sight more attention than it has received thus far on the site.

There are only three tracks on offer here, the shortest one being a mere 14:20 minutes long. So, you would think, a prog fans trip to nirvana! Well, yes, but, as with many such artists, the key question is whether such a product is both good enough musically and well produced to keep the listener’s attention from wondering to other places. I am very glad to report that Hamel manages this tricky issue with some aplomb.

It is a brave thing indeed to open an album with an epic in excess of 31 minutes, but this is what is done with the title track. With its opening passage, with doom laden guitar and bass, what I thought I would have to look forward to was, basically, an Ayreon type of album, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but it does belie what follows, and patience, and, crucially, a number of listens are essential here. Because, there are many tempo and mood changes on offer here, and once Rasche settles into her vocals three minutes in, you start to pay a bit more attention, and there are more than enough changes here to keep the interest going, and, whilst slightly overblown in places, this is a very accomplished piece of music. At turns heavy, orchestral, and mellow, this is a very good piece of music, and if you are not tapping your feet and nodding your head in appreciation at the conclusion, then you are probably clinically deceased. It is certainly very comparable to some of Dream Theater’s better moments.

Mosaic is a very dreamy, almost psychedelic, piece of rock music, and Rasche’s wonderful vocals are very much in keeping with the mood of the music she accompanies. When Hamel unleashes his guitar solo, which is very good, he takes a mellow spacey track to an altogether darker place, which has, presumably, the desired effect of breaking up the tempo, before the keyboards and drum/bass takes the track back to its Floydian roots, and I do really like the altogether too brief vocal harmonies at the conclusion.

Album closer, Phoenix Rising, demonstrates why this band are classified as neo on the site, because there really is a little bit of everything in here, and there are some quite lovely moments of music in a track completely free of vocals. There are, at the commencement, heavy passages clearly influenced by the likes of Dream Theater and Riverside, with maybe a touch of the more chaotic Yes moments circa Relayer, before the track develops extremely beautifully into a full blown symphonic masterpiece, and the final four minutes has moments which make you shudder with the beauty of what you hear. Hamel is a very talented guitarist, and the atmosphere and pace he generates with the closing passage are wonderful to listen to.

In conclusion, this is a very good album which absolutely promises much for the future. I have no hesitation in awarding it four stars with a strong recommendation for all who like heavy prog, psychedelic prog, and symphonic prog all rolled into one rather neat package.

 Original Article

Translated via google

Only three songs on the new Majestic album, but they are to return, long two of the fourth hour and a half hours.With a bit of light fractions, most NOK find out that “Labyrinth” actually lasts about an hour. The music on this album is at times space rock of the more psychedelic battle where hard prog and more atmospheric rock site and combine to give a band with a rather distinctive sound. Jeff Hamel is multi-instrumentalist and could probably have managed to play everything on this album. Sensible NOK as Hamel takes the help of four other talented musicians so that the band feeling is there. The music is full of intricate but functional terms and it is a great will to create something distinctive that is at least a step sideways for much of the more mainstream proggen. Temperature shifts are many and often it is nice transitions and keyboards often emits a light and floating feeling while the drums are somewhat fislete. The guitars are often reasonably hard and frame the work of an excellent and sneisen way and there is a lot of snacks to listen to if you listen carefully. Title song make up half the album and here the most use of vocals and it’s something that we think suits Majestic is really good. The other two songs are more sparing use of Jessica Rasche his beautiful voice and it’s a shame because she sounds very good in our ears. Very good sounds too “Phoenix Rising” which is based on many good and efficient ideas. The song is also well equipped in terms tonality and is quite intricate but accessible but exciting. Hamel templates heavy and smådystre soundscapes and organizes “Phoenix Rising,” both with an ear for detail and wide dynamic range. We can control our enthusiasm for the “Mosaic”, while the aforementioned title track, we can not steer clear! With his playing time on the half hour is “Labyrith” truly an epic song, but with so much essence that we are very pleased. Antics are not that many but the ones we find interesting NOK, and the song keeps us engaged throughout all 31 minutes. We are from both the drama, dynamics, great vocal lines, catchy parties and more cautious parties. Compositional used crescendo and the emotional aspect for all it’s worth. Thanks to Hamel’s great musical talent brought the track safely in port, leaving the listener in a mode of having experienced something really good. The same feeling we are left with after listening to this piece many times, and “Labyrinth” is a work that is well worth owning and include a complete representative collection of music.

Source

Kun tre låter på den nye Majestic skiva, men de er til gjengjeld lange hvorav to på en kvart time og en på en halv time. Med litt lett brøkregning vil de fleste nok finne ut at ”Labyrinth” faktisk varer rundt timen. Musikken på denne skiva er tidvis spacerock av det mer psykedeliske slaget hvor hard prog og mer atmosfærisk rock tilkommer og til sammen gir et band med et noe egenartet sound. Jeff Hamel er multiinstrumentalist og kunne sikkert klart å spille alt på denne skiva. Fornuftig nok så henter Hamel inn hjelp av fire andre dyktige musikere slik at bandfølelsen er der. Musikken er spekket med intrikate men fungerende vendinger og det er en fin vilje til å skape noe egenartet som er minst et skritt til siden for mye av den mer mainstream proggen.  Tempskiftene er mange og som oftest er det fine overganger og keyboardene avgir ofte en luftig og svevende stemning mens trommene er noe fislete. Gitarene er ofte rimelig hard og rammer inn verket på en utmerket og sneisen måte og det er mye snacks å lytte til om en hører nøye etter. Tittellåten utgjør halve skiva og her det mest bruk av vokal og det er noe som vi synes kler Majestic meget bra. De to øvrige låtene er det mer sparsom bruk av Jessica Rasche sin flotte stemme og det er synd da hun låter svært bra i våre ører. Svært bra lyder også ”Phoenix Rising” som er tuftet på mange gode og velfungerende ideer. Låten er også velutstyrt hva gjelder tonalitet og er ganske så intrikat men likevel tilgjengelig men spennende. Hamel maler tunge og smådystre lydbilder og arrangerer ”Phoenix Rising” både med øre for detaljer og med stor dynamisk spennvidde. Vi kan styre vår begeistring for ”Mosaic”, mens den tidligere omtalte tittellåten kan vi ikke styre unna! Med sin spilletid på over halvtimen er ”Labyrith” i sannhet en episk låt, men med så mye essens at vi er meget godt fornøyd. Krumspringene er ikke så mange, men de som er finner vi spennende nok, og låten holder oss engasjert gjennom samtlige 31 minutter. Vi frå både dramatikk, dynamikk, flotte vokallinjer, fengende partier og mer ettertenksomme partier. Kompositorisk brukes crescendo og det følelsesmessige aspekt for alt det er verdt. Takket være Hamel sin store musikalske begavelse bringes låten trygt i havn, og etterlater lytteren i et modus av å ha opplevd noe virkelig bra. Den samme følelsen sitter vi igjen med etter å ha lyttet til dette verket mange ganger, og ”Labyrinth” er et verk som er vel verdt å eie og inkludere i en kompetant samling av musikk.

www.MajesticSongs.com

1. Labyrinth (31:40) 
2 Mosaic (15:16) 
3 Phoenix Rising (14:20)

• Jessica Rasche – Vocal
• Jeff Hamel – Guitars, keyboards and voakl
• John Wooten – Drums
• Scott Hamel – Bass
• Jerry Swan – Bass

Source Article

Majestic – Ataraxia 

(CD 2010, 78:20, MALS 363)

The tracks:

Just for a change I start this review with my final judgment: listening to Ataraxia, the fourth album of the American band Majestic is no torture at all, but a very exciting musical adventure! Mastermind Jeff Hamel made a 78-minute long and excellent album assisted by Chris Nathe (drums) and Jessica Rasche (vocals). Starting as a hard rock guitarist autodidact Jeff Hamel learned to play the keyboards and the bass guitar. His debut album Descension(2007) was an instrumental solo album. On his second album String Theory (2008) and on his third Arrival (2009), he was supported by several guest musicians and musical friends.

Next to Nathe and Rasche you hear contributions of his son Jeremy, who plays the guitar in the last songReflections, Gregg Jones, guitar on Altered State, Jerry Swan, bass on Numb and John Wooten drums onAstral Dream and Delusion. The album starts with someone climbing up a staircase, buzz talking in a pub and heavy rainfall before Jessica Rasche with her angelic voice starts to sing the mysterious lyrics of Disarray. InFaceless I’m rudely waken up by hard rock guitar sounds. The end contains a duet between Rasche’s vocals and Hamel’s heavy riffs. After catching my breath, Wither is another surprising piece with a blend of gothic rock, space metal and guitar sounds in the vein of Pink Floyd, while Star Bound feels like being in a space capsule travelling to an unknown planet. This time I’m not impressed by the monotonous vocals and the lyrics of Jessica Rasche. Numbis a ballad with a rather dreamy duet. Astral Dream is a seven-minute instrumental piece with long space sounds blended with atmospheric guitar waves quite similar to the oldest British space invaders Hawkwind. In my opinion,Delusion is the weakest song of the album since the spoken words don’t match with the weird musical texture of this song. Otherwise Dance Of The Elders is one of the highlights, a kind of mini space rock symphony. Listen to the varied drumming of Chris Nathe, the pumping bass, the sound of the electric guitar and the flashy synthesizer solos.

However, the absolute highlight of Ataraxia is the epic Takes My Breath Away that lasts over fourteen minutes. It contains atmospheric and spacey keyboards, howling guitar sounds in the vein of David Gilmour and dramatic, angelic voices. This piece gradually builds up to a climax with an outstanding guitar solo played by Hamel. Well done! The title of this track exactly expresses what it did to me. Altered State is a brilliant song either containing nine minutes of excellent heavy hard rock. Toward the end the song turns into a more symphonic piece with Jessica’s vocals. The epilogue Reflections is again a piece of harmonious and musical perfection in the vein of Eloyand Ayreon. 

Unfortunately Ataraxia, the fourth album by Majestic, contains a few weaker songs as well. Otherwise I had given this album a five-star rating, but four stars out of five aren’t bad at all… In the meantime Majestic released their fifth album called Labyrinth, but until now I didn’t receive a copy to review. 

**** Cor Smeets (edited by Peter Willemsen)

Majestic

Labyrinth

Review by Mark Johnson

Majestic is back, and rather quickly after the fantastic album Ataraxia, with another album full of prog epic masterpieces. The band offered this set up for free as they said, “As a way of saying thank you for all the support Majestic has received from the prog rock community.” So you can download the album from this location for free: http://www.majesticsongs.com/blog/?page_id=730.

Performing on this album are some of the band’s main members, Jessica Rasche, on vocals; Jeff Hamel, on guitars and keyboards; John Wooten, on drums; Scott Hamel, bass on the track “Labyrinth,” and Jerry Swan, bass on the track “Mosaic.” Mark Mayers provides the interesting cover art.

Imagine getting something this good for free! This is a wonderful album full of epic tracks that showcase all of the talent that this band brings to the stage. This features wonderful keys and guitar work that sound original but at the same time takes you back to a time when you could relax and appreciate music in the fullness of its surrounding sound. This is excellent! Majestic, thank you!

Track by Track Review

Labyrinth
The title track opens with quiet synth -like keys, but don’t let it fool you. The project is about to get angry with heavy metal guitars and powerful drums. Some of the guitar licks bring back memories of the great work from the Cult’s Love album. Great bass support and the consuming energy builds fast and loud as more cool guitar solos fill the soundscape before Rasche’s voice fills the air, set to cool synth – like keys. After over seven minutes of blasting guitars, bass and drums, the piece quiets down into a cool keyboard flow of rhythm which is haunting and at the same time spellbinding. Then some wonderful acoustic guitar enters to sooth even further. This is perfect. Cool drifting guitar riffs roll over the soundscape as flute like keys match the traveler’s journey through the maze. The drums maintain the pace. Then Jessica re-enters the soundscape. Then some more awesome blazing guitar work is heard, offset this time with the pinging of keys and synth sounds with fantastic heavy bass working into the cut. Some wonderful strings join Rasche for a very cool ethereal moment before the exploding drums and guitars return. Then some cool cascading piano keys weave an intricate melody with surrounding cymbals. Rasche’s best vocals on the track, close this epic masterpiece. It’s another great epic to add to their arsenal of great songs.

Mosaic
“Mosaic” opens to wind sounds, smooth cool keys, drums and slow electric guitar, almost taking me back to NoSound’s music. Then some cool Gilmouresque guitars flood the soundscape, bringing back memories of the famous Floyd sounds of the past. On this track, Rasche’s voice takes it up a notch to full power. You can hear her much clearer than the opening track. The acoustic guitar work, mixed with electric guitar that follows is simply amazing. It’s followed by some wonderful keys mixed with guitar.

Phoenix Rising
This opens with a cool electric guitar riff before the drums, cymbals, keys and bass join in. This is an excellent instrumental showcasing the band’s talent and it includes some fantastic soloing. Excellent keys, guitar work and drumming are all featured. This takes you back to some Collins–era Genesis sounds at times.

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