Review Summary: Satanic chants, intense rhythmic workouts - "Slag Tanz"' has it all.
God f
ucking bless Magma. These guys have been around for over forty years, and in the most wonderful way possible, have graced the world with some of the most insanely bizarre music ever put on tape. It is definitely possible that no other band couldn’t and still can’t do what Magma can do. No one else could make a forty minute concept piece that was part of an unrealized ten-album cycle that spanned decades and told the story of a fictional planet and its people
("Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh") – nor could anyone else even create material based off a fictional language that is actively translated by fans to this day (
”Kobaian”). Since 1969, Magma have been active in telling the story of the Kobaian people created by founder Christian Vander, and have “attempted to fill the void left by John Coltrane’s death” quite successfully. Magma have changed directions musically several times in their lengthy existence, creating a mystifying fusion of jazz, funk, vocal chants such as scat, and classical music – a prime example of the band’s ever-going development being 2015’s
”Slag Tanz”.
Consisting of only eight, seamless tracks meant to be heard as one single piece,
”Slag Tanz” wastes no time in getting to the point with haste.
”Slag Tanz” contains the typical modern Magma sound, laden with ritualistic chants, intense rhythmic sections, but nearly void of guitars; as well as a coherent language that anyone could understand. However, when listening to Magma’s newest effort, there’s much more to the composition than what it seems. The recording of this twenty-minute epic is immensely layered with several vocal tracks by the band’s several vocalists, from deranged chanting of the Kobaian language to soothing harmonies – from shrill, choral vocal workouts to soaring leads. The rhythm section, consisting of Christian Vander, Benoit Alziary, and Phillipe Bussonnet are the stars of this production, without a single doubt in my mind. The trio allows for this entire piece to stay exactly where it needs to be – it doesn’t get overblown, nor does it skimp along for its length. Not only that, but the texture of the track, the resonance of
”Slag Tanz” – the complete fullness of the song from start to finish, is enough to satisfy all who give it a try. Repetition is surprisingly one of the stronger parts about
”Slag Tanz”, evoking the ideas of such minimalist composers such as Steve Reich (
”Music for 18 Musicians, “It’s Gonna Rain”) and Edgard Varese (
”Ionisations”) – using repetition as one of the main focuses of the composition, constantly evolving over its running time.
As a whole,
”Slag Tanz” is one of the best works Magma have ever produced since their revival back in 1996. From the tight rhythmic section to the absurd vocals,
”Slag Tanz” is more akin to a satanic ritual fit for a sleazy 80s “B-horror film”. Even then, it’s obscenely concise in length, succinct in its arrangement, and outright just a good time for anyone looking for relatively entertaining progressive music.
”Slag Tanz” is an absolute, definite
must for Magma fans.
