The most relentless album ever made. From the opening choppy piano notes and pounding rhythms, Magma lays down the gauntlet for their 3rd opus. They'd been fiddling with the formula since the beginning, and it's here that they (mostly) shed their jazz influences for one of classical and opera. With full choirs and a heavy brass section, along with lead vocalist Klaus Blasquiz going absolutely out of his mind, Magma pounds every sense you possess. Despite what sounds like a slog to get through, Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh is surprisingly melodic. It's a case study on how to use dynamics in what would otherwise be considered an oppressive environment. There's plenty of light touches throughout to build the mood and atmosphere. And all of this is done using their home baked Germanic Kobaian language. But what makes Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh special is not the constant buildup, but rather the most intense climax and release one can possibly imagine. After some 30 minutes of grinding, Magma goes berserk on the title track, burning everything down in flames. The subsequent finale expresses a post-apocalyptic world. Where everything is now in ruins. This is the Zeuhl masterpiece that inspired dozens of musicians worldwide - and for generations to come.
Ownership: LP: 1973 A&M (USA). Gatefold. This was not the first Magma album for me to own (I lucked into the debut prior), but it was the one that convinced me I was to be a Zeuhl fan for life. I purchased this at Forever Young in the Dallas area in the summer of 1986, long before I had a grasp on the European progressive rock underground. So yet again we have an album that shaped my tastes, rather than validated them. In fact, it took a full year to finally hit me. For my final semester in college (fall 1987) I was forced to live in an efficiency apartment. I didn't bring my stereo, just a Sony cassette boom box (which I still have!). I made a handful of tapes for these final 4 months, and this was one of them. There were days when this was all I would hear. The album is housed in a cool black and gold gatefold cover with lyrics and English translations. It's almost impossible to believe that Herb Alpert's label would release something like this here in the States. We're a long way from Sergio Mendes...
CD: 1989 Seventh. Jewel case. Makes a nice supplement, though offers little more.
1986; 8/23/21 (new entry)
No comments:
Post a Comment